14 Established 1961 Monday, June 1, 2020 Lifestyle Features ‘Cook Off’: The Zimbabwe film that defied all odds to reach Netflix eeing myself on Netflix, I have to punch “Cook Off” was shot on the set of Zimbabwe’s ver- choked up in a cloud of tear gas fired to disperse an myself every day. Like, is that really me?” sion of “Top Chef”, which airs on public broadcaster anti-government protest. “She called and said: ‘I can “Sasked actress Tendaiishe Chitima, star of ZBC. “We used the costumes, the set, the cooking still come but I am crying and I dont know if I am the first Zimbabwean feature film acquired by the pots of Battle of the chefs,” confessed director going to be able to act because I don’t have a crying streaming pioneer. “Cook Off” was shot in 2017, just Tomas Brickhill, referring to a programme now no scene,’ “ said Brickhill, smiling at the memory. Despite months before the fall of Zimbabwe’s despotic ex- longer airing. “Without that there would not have the challenges, “Cook Off” did not lose its sparkle and president Robert Mugabe, whose iron-fisted rule been any movie.” “feel good” effect. “Previously I was acting in a lot of brought the economy to its knees. The romantic Chitima admitted that none of the cast or crew TV shows in which my role as a Zimbabwean was comedy had a meagre starting budget of just had yet been paid for their work. Their budget barely either a maid, a prostitute, or I was being trafficked,” $8,000. “It was not like a luxury shoot where you covered food for the crew while on set. “At the time said Chitima, who had previously featured only in have your own trailer and you are big on wine,” said there was restriction on (cash) withdrawals,” shorter productions. 29-year-old Chitima, sparkly eyed as she recalled Brickhill recalled. “Every day we had to source “A role in which I could play an empowered charac- the experience from her parent’s house in cash,” he said in an interview with AFP, adding that ter pursing what she wanted was for me a great Johannesburg, South Africa. “Everything was very hard to get hold of notes were selling for more than opportunity.” “The movie shows the other side of our minimalistic. We had to get things right the first time their value on the black market. The daily limit was Tendaiishe Chitima, the lead actress in the story,” she added. “That we are resilient and have or the second time.” $20 (18 euros) — not even enough for bottled water Zimbabwean film Cook Off, poses for a portrait at her dreams.” Chitima hoped to eventually star in big budg- Chitima plays main character Anesu, a single in a country crippled by hyper-inflation. “Other peo- home in Sandton. — AFP et productions. Meanwhile, the crew and the cast are mother too busy making ends meet to pursue her ple think we are completely crazy,” he chuckled. “But still awaiting their cheques, after agreeing to deferred passion for food... until her son and grand-mother we have been dealing with it for so long, that is nor- Tear gas payments.—AFP sign her up for a reality cooking contest. For the mal for us.” With no running water on set and little The first days of shooting were also constantly dis- Zimbabwean débutante, making it onto Netflix was a cash to spare, the “Cook Off” crew resorted to rupted by power cuts—a regular occurrence—forcing “miracle” given the filming conditions. Most of drinking boiled water from a garden tap. the team to stretch their paltry budget and hire a gen- erator. One day, one of the actresses found herself Forbes drops Kylie Jenner from billionaires list ylie Jenner isn’t a billionaire after forged. “(The) unusual lengths to which all, Forbes magazine said Friday the Jenners have been willing to go... Kas it accused the reality TV star’s reveals just how desperate some of the family of “inflating the value of her cos- ultra-rich are to look even richer,” the metics business for years.” Forbes magazine wrote. It said the new infor- declared the 22-year-old a billionaire in mation and the impact of COVID-19 on March 2019 owing to the popularity of beauty sales led them to believe she is her Kylie Cosmetics brand but has not a billionaire, even although she removed her from their list, citing new pocketed an estimated $340 million information. Jenner sold a 51 percent after taxes from the sale. She’s not far stake in her brand to beauty giant Coty off though: Forbes estimates that in January for $600 million in a deal that Jenner’s personal fortune is just under valued the company at $1.2 billion. $900 million. Jenner hit back at the Forbes said in an article published on its magazine on Twitter, accusing it of “a In this file photo taken on March 29, 1993, US actor Clint Eastwood (center) holds up his two Oscars at the 65th website that the fine print of the deal number of inaccurate statements and In this file photo TV per- Annual Academy Awards, which he won for Best Director and Best Picture for “Unforgiven.” reveals that the business is “significantly unproven assumptions.” “I’ve never sonality Kylie Jenner smaller and less profitable” than they asked for any title or tried to lie my way attends the 2018 MTV were led to believe. there EVER. period,” she wrote.—AFP Video Music Awards at Maybe a few movies more? It also accused the famous family, of Radio City Music Hall on which Kylie is the youngest member, of August 20, 2018 in New creating tax returns that were “likely Clint Eastwood turns 90 York City.—AFP ovie legend Clint Eastwood turns 90 on As well as Oscars for “Unforgiven” and “Million Netflix acquires MSunday, but don’t count on the famously stoic Dollar Baby,” and a lifetime achievement Palme d’Or and hard-working star of “A Fistful of from the Cannes festival, Eastwood’s back catalog also Dollars” and “Dirty Harry” hanging up his cowboy contains a few critically savaged flops. “I would like to Hollywood’s historic boots just yet. The multiple Oscar-winning actor- think it rolls off his back... he’s gotten beat up along turned-director, who churned out nine films in his 80s, the way pretty regularly,” Variety senior vice president has expressed no desire to retire ahead of the mile- Tim Gray told AFP. “I think he’s going to keep working Egyptian Theatre stone—and in any case, he’s not a fan of birthdays. as long as he can... he seems to have a creative drive “We’re just going to do a family thing—very, very that keeps him going.” In this file photo US singer Taylor Swift arrives for calm, very mellow,” his 34-year-old actor son Scott Universal Pictures’ world premiere of “Cats” at Alice etflix completed its purchase of Hollywood’s told “Access Hollywood.” “We’ll sneak a cake in there, ‘Just wants to work’ Tully Hall in New York City. – AFP historic Egyptian Theatre on Friday, helping to definitely. He probably won’t like it.” Known on the Hollywood circuit as polite but reti- Nconfirm the streaming giant’s newfound central cent as far as small talk or personal details, Eastwood Taylor Swift position in the movie industry. The Los Angeles the- has hinted at future projects, but had not yet con- ater built in 1922 claims to have hosted Hollywood’s firmed any plans before the coronavirus pandemic shut first ever movie premiere—“Robin Hood”—and will down all productions in March. In a January interview be used by Netflix for movie premieres as well as with Britain’s ITV , Eastwood indicated he was still says Trump ‘stoking fires screenings and special events. “The Egyptian Theatre enjoying plying his trade. “I like doing it, it’s nice to be is an incredible part of Hollywood history and has able to have a paying job,” he told “This Morning.”“I of white supremacy’ been treasured by the Los Angeles film community like being in films, I like making films and I started for nearly a century,” said Netflix film head Scott directing films because I thought one day I’m going to op icon Taylor Swift hit out at Donald Trump on Stuber in a statement confirming the deal. look up on screen and say, ‘That’s enough, Friday after the US president suggested law Netflix, which did not reveal the size of its invest- Eastwood—you’d better do something else.’” Penforcement might shoot protesters angry over the ment, will run the venue jointly with the nonprofit In other interviews, he has expressed confusion as killing of a black man by Minneapolis police. “After stok- American Cinematheque, which bought the dilapidat- to why luminaries such as Billy Wilder and Frank Capra ing the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire ed theater from city officials in 1996 and renovated it quit the business at a younger age, and spoken of his presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority two years later. The Egyptian Theatre’s landmark desire to keep working as long as he finds projects before threatening violence?” Swift wrote on Twitter, 1922 premiere of “Robin Hood” saw Charlie Chaplin that are “worth studying.” Despite previously where she has 86 million followers. She cited Trump’s and movie mogul Cecil B.