Bahumi Mhlongo received high praise from director Stephina Zwane for her exceptional performance in the film, “Love, Sex & 30 Candles”.
In a video clip shared on Mhlongo’s Instagram on Tuesday, Zwane can be heard commending her acting skills.
Zwane praised Mhlongo for her dedication, skill, and ability to bring the character of Nolwazi to life in the film.
Zwane mentioned that when Mhlongo auditioned for the character Nolwazi, she stood out.
According to Zwane the character of Nolwazi was complex but Mhlongo managed to bring depth and authenticity to the role.
“I'll tell you this, you came in to audition for Nolwazi and we didn’t want to see any other Nolwazi,” Zwane said.
“Nolwazi was a very complicated character, you brought yourself to it. You were also willing to stretch yourself.”
Zwane recalled a particular moment during filming when Mhlongo had to perform a monologue.
“There was a day when I was scared for you, when we did that long monologue. And you killed it. The first time we shot that scene, I was in tears. You were incredible. Thank you so much.”
In response to Zwane’s praise, Mhlongo expressed her gratitude to Zwane and Salamina Mosese (co-creator of the film) for their support and guidance throughout the filming process of “Love, Sex & 30 Candles”.
“An honour. @stephina_zwane @salaminamosese thank you so much for taking a chance on every single one of us. The compassion and sensitivity to each subject matter of this film was given from day 1 by the two of you and I couldn’t have felt more comfortable to play Nolwazi.”
Mhlongo also noted that the words spoken by Zwane and Mosese held great significance for the entire cast.
“You probably have no idea what the words you spoke this day meant to us, but man, they did a thing to my pursuits.
“I’m encouraged by both of you, not just by your words but by your respective evolutions.
“I’m so honoured to have worked with you and your team, thank you for connecting me with our lovely leading ladies. This was and is a God thing, and I’m so eager to behold the next thing He’s doing,” added Mhlongo.
Meanwhile, Mosese expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the audience for their integral role in the success of "Home Wrecker", which was released in July, and the more recent release of "Love, Sex & 30 Candles".
“You guys did that!!! 🙌🏾⭐️🇿🇦🇳🇬 Two number 1 films in 2 months!!! All glory be to God.”
Mosese also shed light on the journey of independent filmmakers, describing it as a roller-coaster ride.
She highlighted the substantial commitment of time, effort, and personal resources that independent filmmakers invest in bringing their creative visions to life.
She touched on the emotional aspect of this journey.
“Many people don’t realise that as independent filmmakers, almost the whole process of making a film is a gamble,” wrote Mosese.
“While we are creating the stories and shooting we put all our eggs in one basket to complete the project.
“Then after the film is made, we cross our fingers and pray that all good things in the universe will come together So that someone will license (buy) our film.
“At every step, we hold our breath. Never fully knowing how it will all pan out.
“So when we say Thank you for watching the film, we mean it wholeheartedly.
“You tuned in, and that’s massive! We celebrate these stats because these numbers mean a lot!!
“Thank you for the outpouring of positivity that has come our way. We don’t take it lightly. 🙏🏾”
“I’m so proud of the entire team for the hard work that you all did. To my personal person @stephina_zwane- u continue to amaze me ❤️🙌🏾.”