A new local television series, Goal Line: Kick Beyond the Obstacles is set to hit Malawian screens by the end of August highlights gender issues in the field of football.
Directed by renowned actor Ashukile Mwakisulu, the series follows 15-year-old Happiness Mazola, who is sent to live with her aunt in a remote village after the sudden death of her mother.
In this unfamiliar and often hostile environment, Happiness struggles with poor academic performance, emotional trauma, and frequent harassment both at school and at home, where she is forced to sell alcohol at her aunt’s drinking joint.
Despite the odds, Happiness discovers an unexpected source of hope; football. However, her passion for the sport is met with ridicule and resistance, as the community deems it inappropriate for girls. Teased for her athletic physique and “boyish” looks, Happiness fights to assert her identity and pursue her dreams.
In an interview, Mwakisulu said the series speaks to the untapped potential of girls whose ambitions are often sidelined by societal expectations.
“Our society has labelled certain fields, like football, as no-go zones for girls. But girls can go beyond those boundaries when given support and space to grow, not just in football but every skill and talent that they have,” he said.
Although fictional, the storyline is loosely inspired by the lives of Malawi’s celebrated women’s football stars; Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, who are playing for international teams.
The series also features former Malawian football star Robin Ngalande, who also played in Spain, who takes the role of coach Robert.
It has been funded by the Universal Service Fund (USF), a digital content development initiative under the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra).
According to Mwakisulu, support from the USF was critical in bringing the project to life, especially in an industry where access to funding remains one of the biggest barriers for filmmakers.
“In the past, many of us had to shelve projects because of a lack of funds. But that is slowly changing and there is need for more stakeholders to come on board so that we can have a vibrant film industry,” he said.
Mwakisulu said they have completed filming six episodes for the first season, each with a runtime of 24 minutes and are now in the post-production phase, which includes editing and sound design.
USF head Ronald Tembo said the fund was created to bridge the digital gap and increase local digital content productions on the internet and in the mainstream media.
“For years, most of the content consumed by Malawians online has been international. USF is working to change that by funding homegrown digital content stories that reflect our realities, culture, talent and achievements,” he said.
He said the series is part of the third phase of the USF’s support programme, through which over K200 million has so far been disbursed to content creators since the fund’s inception.
The USF was launched to boost the development of local digital media and content relevant to Malawian audiences and allows content creators to apply for the grants which are advertised.
Aside from Ngalande, other cast members include Janet Simeon, Bridget Marko, Eleanor Sanga and Mwakisulu.
