Film lovers will from May this year have a feel of life behind bars through a new local movie Welcome to Maula Prison which explores life behind bars, justice, morality and the resilience of the human spirit.
It is set for release in May 2025 with premieres in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu.
Project manager Daudi Shaubi said in an interview that the movie was initially scheduled to begin production in August 2023, but was delayed due to financial constraints.
“Filming commenced in October, and the team has now completed shooting and editing. We are finalising the editing process and everything is on track,” he said.
Shaubi also said the film is about raising awareness of life inside prison and the challenges inmates face.
Before shooting, the crew visited Maula Prison in Lilongwe to interact with inmates in readiness for the film.
Film director Kendall Kamwendo said the visit oriented the inmates on the background of the movie to prepare them.
Unlike previous projects such as the award winning movie School Days which was uploaded to YouTube, producers say they will announce whether Welcome to Maula Prison will follow the same pattern.
The film has a cast of 42 main and supporting actors and over 100 others, including real inmates from Maula Prison.
One of the lead actors, Innocent Manyera, described the experience as eye-opening. He said movie lovers should expect a good production.
“Acting inside Maula Prison and interacting with real inmates made my role incredibly powerful. It was more than just a performance and I am positive. People will enjoy it,” said Manyera.
The production’s initial budgeted was K32 million, but rose K40 million due to inflation.
It was supported by Universal Service Fund, Umodzi Park, Soya Gold and other partners.
