A Ugandan movie ‘Kony- Order from Above’ has been selected for the 92nd Academy Awards.
Popularly known as the Oscars and given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States of America (USA), the awards are an international recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy’s voting membership.
The movie was selected on Wednesday by the Uganda Academy Selection Committee (USASC) as Uganda’s official entry for the 2020 Oscar Awards in the category of best international film.
This marks the very first time Uganda is submitting an entry to the prestigious awards following the launch of the seven-member UASC in July this year.
“The selection is only provisional pending the film’s fulfillment of all academy eligibility criteria ahead of the October 1, 2019 Oscar submission deadline for the country entries,” said Godfrey Musinguzi, UASC Chairperson in a statement dated September 11, 2019.
Adding, “The film’s human story , universal themes and authenticity make it a unique piece of home grown art worthy of celebrating on the global platform that is the Oscars.”
Upon selection, Steve T Ayeny, the movie director who is a member of popular Phaneroo fellowship, said he was so happy to achieve such a milestone.
“I feel like God has been faithful to Uganda. This is the first of its kind and I am very happy about this. This is bigger than me as the director and producer. God was in it from day one. I want to thank my crew, cast and everyone who supported this film. As someone who hails from Northern Uganda I wanted to tell our story our own way just to spread love and encourage people to forgive each other focus on the transition and development in Northern Uganda,” revealed Ayeny.
About movie:
This movie drama based on actual happenings tells a story of two youth, Otti and Aguti who fall in love during the tumultuous northern Uganda Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency.
They are however separated when Otti is abducted at age 11. While in abduction, Otti attempts to escape back home and is instead caught and battered at each attempt.
He decides to stay in the bush with the LRA rebels and is soon introduced into the inner command circle of notorious LRA rebel leader Joseph Kony’s. Despite his concession to notoriety, his love for Aguti remained undeterred. In an attempt to sustain it, Otti wrote letters to Aguti through the village reverend.
During the LRA raid to Aboke Girls School, Aguti and other girls are then abducted.
Upon arrival at the Kony camp, the abductees are shown to Kony who falls in love with Aguti instantly without knowledge of the relationship between her and Otti.