A new Ugandan film, Janani: The Last Stand, immortalizing the life and legacy of Archbishop Janan Luwum, has premiered.
Luwum, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, was martyred on February 16, 1977, under the brutal regime of President Idi Amin.
The film produced and directed by Matt Bish supported by Uganda Communications Commission’s Content Development Support Program depicts the dark days where Ugandans feared to speak up against injustices.
However, one man, Archbishop Luwum single-handedly stands against this injustice and denounced it every available opportunity.
With several people disappearing and many others subjected to the firing squad, some in his midst, Archbishop Luwum disregards advice from his family members, fellow clergy including those from Europe to run into exile and chooses to stay and fight the injustices.
Whereas he hoped President Amin would have a change of heart, the atrocities continue, prompting the man of God dare Amin.
Archbishop Luwum tells Amin straight in the face what he thinks of the situation which in turn earns him(Luwum) respect from the head of state.
However, Amin tells Archbishop Luwum that in order to drop treason charges already prepared against him, he should give a portion of the church’s fund, a request the man of God declines.
An infuriated Amin shoots the Archbishop dead and on hearing the gunshot sounds, one of Amin’s blue-eyed boys, Isaac Malyamungu runs to check what has just happened.
An embarrassed Amin tells Malyamungu, the archbishop has been shot dead by a sniper and asks how this could happen.
Whereas he had killed Archibishop Luwum, Amin , nevertheless remained terrified by the man of God.
The film had a private screening at Century Cinemax at Arena Mall in Nsambya on Friday.
Speaking during the same, UCC Executive Director, Nyombi Thembo said the film not only celebrates the life of one of the country’s greatest pillars but also showcases the immense potential of Uganda’s local film industry.
“The story of Luwum is one of the unwavering faith and courage and ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of justice. This is a time reminder of sacrifices made by those who stood for justice in human dignity. It reminds us that courage even in the face of adversity is a legacy worth celebrating,” Thembo said.
Julianne Mweheire, the Director Economic Regulation, Content and Consumer Affairs at UCC said the film was supported through the Content Development Support Program which she said typically provides a framework to help film makers develop their projects from concept to completion
“ It is developed to nurture talent, foster creativity and provide the necessary resources for filmmakers to explore their ideas and push their boundaries,” Mweheire said.
“This partnership is not just for financial support but it is a platform of mentorship of film makers through script writing, pre-production, production, post production as well as marketing and distribution of film.”
The film will later today, Saturday have an official premiere at Century Cinema at Acacia Mall.
