When the Dream Took Flight… and Paused Mid-Air

While digging through my old hard drive recently, I stumbled upon a few memories that instantly transported me back in time, to when I brushed shoulders with an international sporting legend and some dignitaries of the film commission, all carrying a grand vision for cinema in Africa. It was a fleeting yet powerful moment when possibility shimmered on the horizon.

Two long-format series were being envisioned. I was entrusted with executing the pilot episodes, not just as the creative head, but also as the director. It felt like the beginning of something big, a co-production with immense scope and local talent at its core. My job was to make something compelling enough to open those long-term doors.

It wasn’t easy, but we were ready. Every step was driven by purpose, researching content, finding the right visual language, and building creative decks for every department to align them closely with the vision. I was directing remotely, juggling across continents with countless video calls, messages, and emails. Slowly but surely, the pilots were taking shape. It felt right. Solid.

But directing requires boots-on-the-ground planning. I had to crack a workable execution plan within tight timelines and limited resources. Shot divisions had to be drawn up quickly, ensuring the story flowed seamlessly and looked cinematic.

That’s when the world stopped.

The COVID wave struck, and I was among the millions infected. While everything paused around me, I finally had time to go deep into shot division. With fevered brows and tired eyes, I filled paper after paper, stick figures, scribbles, camera angles, and notes to departments. It kept me sane, though my family often watched from a distance, wondering what I was doing as I framed imaginary shots in the air with my hands.

Eventually, the world stirred back to life, and so did we. As travel plans were being finalized, tragedy knocked again. I lost my father.

It was the most personal kind of storm. But the systems I had set in motion helped things stay on track. The team was aligned. I made a difficult decision to perform the last rites in three days instead of the customary thirteen so I could be where I was needed, creatively and professionally.

Soon, we landed in Africa to a warm welcome. We wasted no time getting to work. But the few unresolved creative knots I had flagged earlier took longer than anticipated. What was meant to take a few days spilled into ten, adding pressure and cost.

The dream, one that had fought adversity and almost taken flight, was grounded again. Just a couple of days before filming, we had to return. The reasons were many, but today, I don’t want to dwell on them.

Instead, I choose to remember the journey.The passion.The perseverance.The power of a shared dream.The warmth of a team that stood steady.And the stories that nearly were.

Some dreams don’t die.They just wait.