source: The New York Times
AS Alexander McCall Smith writes in the opening of his best-selling novel “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency,” “Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Botswana, at the foot of Kgale Hill.” Though her cases tend to dwell on sins like philandering and low-level insurance scams, her greatest mystery these days is whether her story can translate to film.
Precious Ramotswe has no blue steel pistol, just two desks, two chairs, a telephone and an old typewriter. Her tiny white van is incapable of high-speed chases and fiery stunts. Then there is Mma Ramotswe herself. (Mma is a local honorific.) Film sleuths usually exude chiseled sexiness and a noir persona. But as Mr. McCall Smith puts it, Precious Ramotswe is “the fat lady detective”: rounded, not chiseled; softhearted, not dark.
Would anyone watch a film about a “traditionally built” (as she puts it) shamus whose main preoccupation is contemplating her cases under an acacia tree?
The director Anthony Minghella allows that it [continue reading]
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Mma Ramotswe Movie: Boom for Botswana?
source: travel.iAfrica.com
Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
Thu, 06 Sep 2007
Its sleepy nature was an essential ingredient to the book but tourist bosses are hoping a film version of "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" will provide a shot in the arm to Botswana's laidback capital.
Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella has brought a rare bustle to Gaborone since he and his crew arrived 10 weeks ago to bring Alexander McCall Smith's best-selling novel to an even wider audience.
As well as filming in the capital, Minghella of "The English Patient" fame is planning to shoot scenes in the stunning Makgadikgadi Pans, huge salt flats in northern Botswana, and has roped in locals for a funeral scene at a village on the outskirts of Gaborone.
Although one of the wealthiest countries in Africa, Botswana is keen to drum up alternative sources of income apart from its diamond mines and spectacular wildlife, which draws in hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors each year.
Gaborone a must-see destination
Tourism is now the [continue reading]
Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
Thu, 06 Sep 2007
Its sleepy nature was an essential ingredient to the book but tourist bosses are hoping a film version of "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" will provide a shot in the arm to Botswana's laidback capital.
Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella has brought a rare bustle to Gaborone since he and his crew arrived 10 weeks ago to bring Alexander McCall Smith's best-selling novel to an even wider audience.
As well as filming in the capital, Minghella of "The English Patient" fame is planning to shoot scenes in the stunning Makgadikgadi Pans, huge salt flats in northern Botswana, and has roped in locals for a funeral scene at a village on the outskirts of Gaborone.
Although one of the wealthiest countries in Africa, Botswana is keen to drum up alternative sources of income apart from its diamond mines and spectacular wildlife, which draws in hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors each year.
Gaborone a must-see destination
Tourism is now the [continue reading]
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Mma-Ramotswe Scenes Shift To Salt Pans, Okavango
source: Mmegi (Botswana)
MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
CORRESPONDENT
The Hollywood euphoria that engulfed Gaborone for the last 10 weeks has finally ended after the Mma-Ramotswe movie crew wrapped up the filming at their Gaborone West Industrial production base last Thursday.
By late Thursday afternoon and the next morning, the big vehicles used by the crew were streaming out of the city to the north of the country where they will be shooting for 10 days at the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans and the Okavango Delta. Movie producer Amy-J Moore says the Delta and the pans scenes, which do not appear in Alexander Mcall Smith's book, are meant to showcase Botswana's natural beauty.
Although there are no hotels in Gweta, where the film crew and the actors will be based, Moore says accommodation is not a hindrance. " We will be using tents. We are setting up hundreds of tents at Gweta, that's where we will be staying for the next few days," she said as the team prepared to decamp.
The nation's capital may be quiet for now as far as [continue reading]
MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
CORRESPONDENT
The Hollywood euphoria that engulfed Gaborone for the last 10 weeks has finally ended after the Mma-Ramotswe movie crew wrapped up the filming at their Gaborone West Industrial production base last Thursday.
By late Thursday afternoon and the next morning, the big vehicles used by the crew were streaming out of the city to the north of the country where they will be shooting for 10 days at the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans and the Okavango Delta. Movie producer Amy-J Moore says the Delta and the pans scenes, which do not appear in Alexander Mcall Smith's book, are meant to showcase Botswana's natural beauty.
Although there are no hotels in Gweta, where the film crew and the actors will be based, Moore says accommodation is not a hindrance. " We will be using tents. We are setting up hundreds of tents at Gweta, that's where we will be staying for the next few days," she said as the team prepared to decamp.
The nation's capital may be quiet for now as far as [continue reading]
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Mma Ramotswe: Tourism Boom Offering
source: allAfrica
The Voice (Francistown)
21 August 2007
Posted to the web 21 August 2007
Chedza Simon
When filming of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency (MmaRamotswe) movie is complete, Botswana may become a tourist hub, resembling setting areas where the Da Vince Code was filmed in Rome.
Johnny Breedt, Head of Production Design, who is responsible for setting up model villages, market areas and infrastructure where certain sets of the movie are shot, said when the movie is complete, the infrastructure shall be protected so that tourists from all over the world could visit and generate revenue for the country.
"After the movie is complete, the infrastructure shall be kept and protected for tourist attraction. The plan is to have the No.1 Ladies tour and in the future, the locations will be able to take in a lot of people who visit the country. This film has generated a lot of interest for Botswana and from my knowledge, tourists are already coming here to view the sites. Botswana will be like Rome, where a lot of people are visiting to see the Da Vince Code movie setting locations," said Breedt.
He said they invested around P5 million to set up the 25 locations around the country. According to him, most of the locations are in Gaborone and the northern part of the country. "Some of these locations are bars, villages with huts and other buildings. There is a hospital model facility at Ben Thema School, Eros Bar and the Speedy Motors in Tlokweng. Some of the sets will be made at Gweta, the Makgadikgadi Pans and Maun. These settings shall be maintained for a number of series, may be until next year because they are made to last between 4 to 5 years," said the Head of production design.
The areas, he said, will be [continue reading]
The Voice (Francistown)
21 August 2007
Posted to the web 21 August 2007
Chedza Simon
When filming of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency (MmaRamotswe) movie is complete, Botswana may become a tourist hub, resembling setting areas where the Da Vince Code was filmed in Rome.
Johnny Breedt, Head of Production Design, who is responsible for setting up model villages, market areas and infrastructure where certain sets of the movie are shot, said when the movie is complete, the infrastructure shall be protected so that tourists from all over the world could visit and generate revenue for the country.
"After the movie is complete, the infrastructure shall be kept and protected for tourist attraction. The plan is to have the No.1 Ladies tour and in the future, the locations will be able to take in a lot of people who visit the country. This film has generated a lot of interest for Botswana and from my knowledge, tourists are already coming here to view the sites. Botswana will be like Rome, where a lot of people are visiting to see the Da Vince Code movie setting locations," said Breedt.
He said they invested around P5 million to set up the 25 locations around the country. According to him, most of the locations are in Gaborone and the northern part of the country. "Some of these locations are bars, villages with huts and other buildings. There is a hospital model facility at Ben Thema School, Eros Bar and the Speedy Motors in Tlokweng. Some of the sets will be made at Gweta, the Makgadikgadi Pans and Maun. These settings shall be maintained for a number of series, may be until next year because they are made to last between 4 to 5 years," said the Head of production design.
The areas, he said, will be [continue reading]
Mma Ramotswe Movie: The Funeral is Fake, But the Tears Are Real
source: Time
Monday, Aug. 20, 2007 By ALEX PERRY
By my count, we've mourned Obed Ramotswe 12 times this morning, and I'm not the only one feeling slightly overcome. His daughter, Precious, has cried her way through 12 renditions of the Botswanan funeral spiritual "Your Yoke Is Light To Carry," and when I approach her, she tearfully waves me away, saying: "I have to stay where I am." Several members of the congregation also look like they can't go on. Even the Western PR executive next to me, a veteran of hundreds of scenes like this, tells me she's finding the whole thing "really quite moving."
It's Day 30 on the 50-day shoot of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, based on the best-selling novel series by Alexander McCall Smith. One of the watchwords of the production is authenticity, which has led director Anthony Minghella to shoot the film in Botswana — a first for this tiny southern African nation — and to involve its people as much as possible. Today's scene is the culmination of months of talks with the villagers of Gabane, 15km (10 miles) outside the capital, Gaborone. First they had to be asked for permission for a film to be made on their land. Then they needed to be told that the particular scene Minghella wanted to shoot there was a funeral. And then, of course, they had to be persuaded to show up as extras.
The negotiations were handled by Bakang "B.K." Bala, a molecular biologist and sometime safari guide who is acting as cultural advisor to Minghella. According to the traditional Batswana khotla system, he made a presentation to the village chiefs, then [continue reading]
Monday, Aug. 20, 2007 By ALEX PERRY
By my count, we've mourned Obed Ramotswe 12 times this morning, and I'm not the only one feeling slightly overcome. His daughter, Precious, has cried her way through 12 renditions of the Botswanan funeral spiritual "Your Yoke Is Light To Carry," and when I approach her, she tearfully waves me away, saying: "I have to stay where I am." Several members of the congregation also look like they can't go on. Even the Western PR executive next to me, a veteran of hundreds of scenes like this, tells me she's finding the whole thing "really quite moving."
It's Day 30 on the 50-day shoot of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, based on the best-selling novel series by Alexander McCall Smith. One of the watchwords of the production is authenticity, which has led director Anthony Minghella to shoot the film in Botswana — a first for this tiny southern African nation — and to involve its people as much as possible. Today's scene is the culmination of months of talks with the villagers of Gabane, 15km (10 miles) outside the capital, Gaborone. First they had to be asked for permission for a film to be made on their land. Then they needed to be told that the particular scene Minghella wanted to shoot there was a funeral. And then, of course, they had to be persuaded to show up as extras.
The negotiations were handled by Bakang "B.K." Bala, a molecular biologist and sometime safari guide who is acting as cultural advisor to Minghella. According to the traditional Batswana khotla system, he made a presentation to the village chiefs, then [continue reading]
Interview: On The Road with Alexander McCall Smith
By Craig Morgan Teicher -- Publishers Weekly, 8/20/2007 1:53:00 AM
Having been born in what is now Zimbabwe and worked as a law professor in Botswana, and now living in Scotland, Alexander McCall Smith is no stranger to far away places. His bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency mystery series, set in Botswana, has inspired worldwide loyalty among fans, and huge sales. To promote the eighth book in the series, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, Smith is doing several tours this year, which are taking him all over the world. PW caught up with Smith in New York City to talk about book tours in many nations, the salvation of the novel, and the similarities between Sweden and Boston.
You’ve done this a number of times before and have a huge fan base made up of people who know a lot about the series. What are the events like?
I think it certainly helps if [continue reading]
Having been born in what is now Zimbabwe and worked as a law professor in Botswana, and now living in Scotland, Alexander McCall Smith is no stranger to far away places. His bestselling No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency mystery series, set in Botswana, has inspired worldwide loyalty among fans, and huge sales. To promote the eighth book in the series, The Good Husband of Zebra Drive, Smith is doing several tours this year, which are taking him all over the world. PW caught up with Smith in New York City to talk about book tours in many nations, the salvation of the novel, and the similarities between Sweden and Boston.
You’ve done this a number of times before and have a huge fan base made up of people who know a lot about the series. What are the events like?
I think it certainly helps if [continue reading]
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