Khalid Shamis - Filmmaker

Trained as a Writer, Director and Editor in the Film and TV industry in the UK and the Middle East, Khalid Shamis has settled in South Africa since 2005. Finishing a two-year lecturing post in the Film school at the WITS School of Arts, Johannesburg, Khalid is resolute that in order for this craft to be successful, the practice must be bridged at both academic and industry levels. He now runs his production company tubafilms in Cape Town primarily - although not exclusively - working in the documentary field.

Khalid is actively writing, directing, producing and editing in the South African film industry and is passionate about the current climate of filmmaking in SA, being a board member of The South African Screen Federation (SASFED), an active member of the Documentary Filmmakers’ Association (DFA), the South African Guild of Editors (SAGE) and the SA Scriptwriters’ Union (SASWU).

His current major project, near completion, is a feature documentary (see synopsis below) on the life, death and legacy of Imam Abdullah Haron, incarcerated and killed in detention in Cape Town in 1969. His next major project, currently on a fifth draft, is a romantic Bollywood/wedding comedy set in Chatsworth, Durban - Chilli Chilli Bang Bang.

Quoting Khalid: “Writing, editing and structure is death and rebirth”.

The Killing of the Imam
In 1969, Imam Abdullah Haron was incarcerated and killed in detention under the terrorism act of 1967 in Cape Town, South Africa. His was one of the early deaths in detention during Apartheid’s dark days. A much loved community leader, the Imam was active within an inactive community in raising awareness of the plight of his fellow country people living under Apartheid.

During the 1960s Imam Haron became more active and began traveling abroad to raise funds for impoverished families back home. It was during this period that the notorious security police began to keep an eye on the Imam.

Mixing animation, documentary and archive, this short film looks at the last few years of the Imam’s life and death. It is told by his grandson (the filmmaker), through the eyes of a child’s imagination of the memories that are told to him by some of the people who knew and were inspired by the Imam.

• The Killing of the Imam, will be screened at Expression Session on Wednesday November 24. Khalid will be out of the country then, but his sister Zainab Shamis and animator Shukry Adams will be there to introduce the film and answer questions.