Award-winning South African director Mandlakayise Walter Dube has announced his latest film project, BLACK SAMURAI: LEGEND OF YASUKE. This production is special because it is the story of Yasuke, told through the vision of an African director. Dube has teamed with novelist and screenwriter Sabelo Mgidi, for the script and has partnered with the Kwa-Zulu Natal Film Commission.
After Dube finished filming the award-winning film, KALUSHI, which was based on the life of Solomon Mahlangu, a crew member reminded him of Yasuke’s story, which he had first heard of while taking classes at Clark University. Where he was introduced to the history of the African presence in Asia, by Dr. Leonard Jeffries.
Dube walked along the beachfront of Sofala calling on Yasuke’s ancestors to evoke his spirit asking for permission
Dube began to research, consulting the Japanese embassy and within different research departments in Africa, which led him to Old Sofala, Mozambique which was part of the Munhumutapa Empire port city. While there, Dube walked along the beachfront of Sofala calling on Yasuke’s ancestors to evoke his spirit asking for permission.
Dube has also linked with American film directors, Floyd Webb and Deborah DeSnoo (based in Japan), who are actually in the midst of their own documentary based on the African Samurai. Their collective assessment, which has been the framework for Dube’s vision — Yasuke was not a slave when he left Africa.
“Why is Hollywood going to get involved with stories that have nothing to do with them?”
Dube recalls when he was almost derailed from his vision of bringing Yasuke’s story to life, saying “Literally, two years into the development of the research of the project, I learned that Lionsgate was doing this. A friend of mine from Canada sent me a message and said ‘Looks like Lionsgate is going to beat you to your big film!’ I was disappointed and depressed and said ‘Why is Hollywood going to get involved with stories that have nothing to do with them?’”
Dube reached out to Lionsgate and expressed how important this project was to him and when there was no response, he abandoned his research and left the project for over a year. The stars were aligned and the ancestors, leaned on Floyd Webb, encouraging him to call Dube, so he could screen KALUSHI at a film festival in Chicago. Their discussion would segue to Yasuke, and they both learned that they had been working on respective African samurai projects. Imagine that.
“We need that African superhero right now!”
Dube was rejuvenated, he pounded on his chest and spoke back to the ancestors saying “I said I can do this. If Hollywood is going to do their own version, we’re going to do the African version. We believe the story is centered in him being an African. We need that African superhero right now! ”
The first South African / Japanese film co-production
In Japan, Dube has also partnered with Professor Hiraku Kaneko, who is working as a historical consultant on the screenplay and is based at the Historiographical Institute at the University of Tokyo, specializing in the Sengoku era. This film project has further significance because it is the first time South African filmmakers coproduce a project with Japanese filmmakers.
Production scheduled to begin 2020
Dube hopes this project, will bridge African filmmaking talent, with the talent of the African diaspora. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2020.
Dube stressed the importance of Africans controlling Yasuke’s narrative, recalling a famous African proverb: “Until the lion can begin to tell his story, the hunter, will always be glorified!”
~Illmatical 無敵將軍
Clarke Illmatical (@masternever) is a writer from Queens, NY. He is the creator of the martial arts fantasy story, MASTERNEVER AND THE FLOW OF DEATH. His writing has appeared in The Amsterdam News, The Norwood News, Harlem Community News, and Queens Politics in New York City. In Asia, his work has been featured in The South China Morning Post, China Global Daily, TimeOut Hong Kong, The Phnom Penh Post, and E-China Cities.
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