Gritty, dark Dar Noir

Gritty and dark, Dar Noir plunges viewers into the dark side of Dar.

Gritty and dark, Dar Noir plunges viewers into Dar’s underbelly.

A gritty glimpse of Dar’s dark side, Dar Noir plunges viewers into the world of a corrupt cop who finds redemption through a prostitute who helps him kick his heroin habit.

“This city will kill me,” declares the main character Daudi, a self described “no good junkie cop,” played by actor Hamadi Mwapachu who also produced and directed the film.

In a manner fitting the title, many of the scenes were filmed in the dark of night using hand-held cameras leaving viewers uneasy and peering into the shadows to understand what is happening.

Mwapachu says a common fight on the set of the dark comedy thriller was the lighting.

“I wanted it to be lit darker,” says Mwapachu of his first feature film.

It’s not Hollywood: there are some rough cuts, poker-faced acting and at 1 hour 50 minutes it feels lengthy —  but Mwapachu’s sheer effort is well worth supporting.
Completing the ‘gritty grungy production’ wasn’t without issues: multiple actors dropped out and Mwapachu was working with a crew of amateur ‘first timers’ across the board.

“The whole thing was a challenge…  most had never come across material like this and had never seen anything in this genre,” says Mwapachu, 39, who has spent over $14,000 USD (30 million TSH) and counting on his labour of love.

It’s not Hollywood: there are some rough cuts, poker-faced acting and at 1 hour 50 minutes it feels lengthy —  but Mwapachu’s sheer effort is well worth supporting.

Dar Noir will be screened at Triniti at 19:00 on Tuesday, November 10, limited entry at the door costs 15,000 TSH. Sold out!

A second screening is planned for Tuesday, November 24.

Be prepared to peer into the shadows as you leave Triniti, wondering exactly what sort of city we live in.

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