South African-born Hollywood actress Thuso Mbedu is currently visiting her hometown of Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. She was hosted as the city premiered her hit movie The Woman King at The Gateway Theatre of shopping mall in Durban.
Mbedu stars in the film and plays the role of Nawi, alongside lead actress Viola Davis.
The KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission (KZNFC), Durban Film Office, eThekwini Municipality, and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN) partnered to host a homecoming for Mbedu, her co-star John Boyega and other cast members of the movie, which opened for release on Friday.
The film is inspired by true events and revolves around Agojie, an all-female warrior unit which protected the West African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century.
KZNFC Acting CEO Victor Senna said it was an exciting moment when the daughter of KwaZulu-Natal soil came home to celebrate her achievements with the nation.
“This is a great partnership between provincial and local government to show the world that KwaZulu-Natal is back in action. This was the perfect opportunity to showcase our province to a global audience and assure international filmmakers that KwaZulu-Natal is the ideal tourism and film destination. The cast members of this movie are much loved and celebrated stars in some of our key international markets like Nigeria, the UK, and the US, which makes this a perfect partnership,” Senna said.
The stars met with various organizations and the media, and stayed overnight at the Nambithi Game Reserve in Ladysmith. Boyega also thrilled learners of Pelham Primary School, which is Mbedu’s former primary school.
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