Perivi Katjavivi

Perivi Katjavivi
Born
Perivi John Katjavivi

22 January 1984
Oxford, England
NationalityNamibian
British
Alma materColumbia College Hollywood
University of Cape Town
University of the Western Cape
Occupation(s)Director, writer, screen writer, cinematographer, editor
Years active2008–present
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Parents
Websitehttps://perivikatjavivi.com

Perivi John Katjavivi is a Namibian-British filmmaker.[1][2] He has made several critically acclaimed films including Eembwiti, The Unseen, and Film Festival Film. Apart from direction, he is also a producer, writer, camera operator, actor, cinematographer and editor.[3] Perivi holds a BA in Cinema from Columbia College, Hollywood in Los Angeles, and an MA in African Cinema from UCT.[4]

Personal life

Katjavivi was born in Oxford, England, and has five siblings. His father Peter Katjavivi is a Namibian politician and diplomat, currently the speaker of the National Assembly of Namibia, his mother is Briton Jane Katjavivi.[5]

Katjavivi grew up in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. He studied film at Columbia College in Los Angeles where he obtained a BA. He holds an MA in African Cinema from the University of Cape Town.[6] He is currently a PhD candidate in Visual History at the University of the Western Cape. Perivi previously served as Chairman of the Filmmakers Association of Namibia.  Aside, he has written extensively for the Windhoek Observer, Africa is a Country and Okay Africa on issues such as culture, identity, race, and genocide. He has presented papers and guest lectured at the University of Westminster,  Nottingham Trent University, and SOAS focusing on film and race in African cinema.[7]

Perivi is an accomplished filmmaker, with his latest work, Under the Hanging Tree premiering at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and becoming Namibia’s first-ever submission to the Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category 2024.[4]

Career

In 2016, Katjavivi made his maiden feature film The Unseen. The film was screened at several film festivals including Busan, in competition at Durban. The film won the award for Best Film at Innsbruck in Austria as well.[8] In 2019, he produced the short Film Festival Film and was co-directed with Mpumelelo Mcata. The film has its World Premiere at the 69th Berlinale in February 2019.[1] His first feature film The Unseen had its world premiere at the Pan African Film Festival[7] in Los Angeles in 2016. It went on to play at several international film festivals including Busan in South Korea and in competition at Durban. The film recently won Best Film at the Innsbruck International film festival in Austria. City Press called it “an entirely new kind of cinema, inventing for itself a new language, refusing to be trapped in the past or shaped by white or Western[9] film models the way many South African films still are.”

Apart from cinema, he has also written extensively for the Windhoek Observer, Africa is a Country, and OkayAfrica.[8] Katjavivi also contends that aside of being any kind of genre film, ‘Under the Hanging Tree’ offers a unique and arguably unseen window into a contemporary Namibia still grappling with its colonial ghosts.

Filmography

Year Film Role Genre Ref.
2008 The Shop Director Short film
2009 Love Is... Director, producer Short film
2011 Eembwiti Director Short film
2012 100 Bucks Actor: Nolan Short film
2012 My Beautiful Nightmare Director, writer, producer, camera operator, cinematographer, editor Short film
2016 Uushimba (City-Life) Writer Short film
2016 The Unseen Director, writer, producer Feature film [10]
2018 Emoyeni: Nsanguluko Director TV Mini-Series
2019 Film Festival Film Director, producer, camera operator, additional editor Feature film [11]
2023 Under the Hanging Tree Director Feature film

References

  1. ^ a b "Perivi Katjavivi". British Film Institute. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Perivi John Katjavivi: Director, Screenwriter". berlinale. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Perivi Katjavivi: filmmaker and writer". Africasacountry. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Perivi Katjavivi". MLASA. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  5. ^ "The intellectual liberation struggle hero: Professor Peter Katjavivi (1941 … )". New Era Newspaper Namibia. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
  6. ^ "Perivi Katjavivi". British Film Institute. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Maisha Film Lab | Perivi Katjavivi". Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  8. ^ a b "Perivi Katjavivi career". Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  9. ^ Mukaiwa, Martha (2023-08-25). "Katjavivi's 'Under the Hanging Tree' sets local premiere and eyes Oscars". The Namibian. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  10. ^ "Joburg: Namibian Director Perivi Katjavivi on His Drama 'The Unseen'". Variety Media. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  11. ^ "Film Festival Film". Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival. Retrieved 11 October 2020.