Blood & Water introduces breakout star, Khosi Ngema and features known talents, such as Ama Qamata (Gomora, My Perfect Family, Rhythm City),  Natasha Thahane (Skeem Saam, The Queen), Gail Mabalane (The Road, The Wild), Cindy Mahlangu (The Queen, The Heard), Thabang Molaba (The Queen), Arno Greeff (Binnelanders) and Dillon Windvogel (DanZ).

SCHICK got an exclusive sneak peek at the six-part first season and it’s official: You’re in for a ride with this one. Blood & Water will suck you in and leave you slightly breathless by the time the credits roll (as you scurry to click ‘Next Episode’). Its perfect balance of drama, romance and intrigue is just what you need to celebrate Hump Day next week. But don’t take my word for it; watch the trailer below:

Synopisis

Blood & Water centres around the exploits of Puleng Khumalo, an intelligent and impulsive 16-year-old with a secret to hide. The teenager engineers her transfer to Parkhurst College in a desperate bid to investigate the 17-year cold case of her older sisters disappearance. Abducted at birth, Fikile’s disappearance has cast a shadow over Puleng’s life, and she’s determined to solve the case.

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In the second season, we will see Queen search for the truth as her newfound need for revenge takes her on a mission across Africa. All while she deals with her family’s past and her complicated love life. Pearl Thusi, Vuyo Dabula, Sechaba Morojele, Chi Mhende, Loyiso Madinga, Rob Van Vuuren, Kate Liquorish, Khathu Ramabulana and Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa are all expected to return for the highly anticipated season 2.

Returning Showrunner and Director Kagiso Lediga commented, “I am so excited by the appetite for African stories and that Netflix is continuing to partner with us to bring to life the next chapter of Queen’s story and showcase it to the world.”

Dorothy Ghettuba, who leads African Original Series at Netflix, commented:

The first season of Queen Sono marked the beginning of our journey to introduce the world to exciting stories that are made in Africa. It was an unprecedented representation of a strong female black lead in African television. In the first season of Queen Sono, we saw grit and glamour, strength and vulnerability, as well as the past and the present, converge into a powerful narrative that explored the complexities and nuances of the African experience. Kagiso Lediga and the Diprente team delivered a compelling story that resonated with our viewers and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for Queen Sono in this coming season.

Netflix will soon debut another African original globally, Blood & Water – a young adult drama series set in Cape Town, South Africa. The company also previously announced its first Nigerian original series by acclaimed Nigerian director, Akin Omotoso as well as an animated project, Mama K’s Team Four which will form part of Netflix’s wide range of diverse, quality entertainment made in Africa to be enjoyed by members around the world.

About Queen Sono Season 1:

After the assassination of her mother, Queen Sono, played by Pearl Thusi, grows up to become a kick-ass yet unconventional spy, devoted to protecting the people of Africa. When Queen’s past, specifically the potential parole of the man in prison for killing her famous, revolutionary mother Safiya Sono comes back to haunt her, the well-trained operative finds herself torn between her career and seeking justice.

Professionally, Queen is a secret agent for a small South African intelligence unit called the Special Operations Group (SOG) who work to protect the country and the entire continent from any kind of threat, including terrorism, corruption, and European neo-colonialism. Personally, Queen is also navigating a complicated love life with her ex SOG partner, Shandu.

Watch the trailer for the first season below:

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Deputy information minster Emma Theofilus signs her affirmation letter at State House today. Video: Shinovene Immanuel

A post shared by The Namibian (@thenamibian) on Mar 23, 2020 at 2:14am PDT

Before her appointment, the trailblazer was a legal officer in the Ministry of Justice, where she drafted human rights reports and implemented Namibia’s human rights strategy – an excellent background for her new position.

Theofilus has already swung into action, releasing a statement on the Coronavirus pandemic and encouraging Nambians to observe best practices. In the video published online, the minister says, “Let us stay at home and practise social distancing. […] Do not attend crowded places and social gatherings and do not travel unnecessarily.”

In an interview reported in The Namibian, addressing criticism about her age and competence, she attacks the issue head-on. “I do not think I am special, but I do not think I am inexperienced, and I do not think being young or female has anything to do with my appointment. Anything I set myself to and any environment I want to work into, I can do it; so the issue of inexperience does not hold any water.”

Further, in a separate interview, Theofilus says, “I am excited. I am told I will be used as a benchmark for young people. I take on the challenge like I have taken other leadership roles. It is uncharted territory and political space but I am ready to take on the challenge.”

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Nigerian-British actor, John Boyega is set to take up production on a slate of non-English speaking feature films in partnership with Netflix. The Star Wars Alumni will be carrying out this project through his production company, ‘Upper Room Productions’.

The multiyear deal comes as not much of a surprise since the streaming company has made recent moves in the continent – the release of Queen Sono, its first original African content and launching in Nigeria. The African continent is one with an untapped wealth of original content, Netflix will be exploring part of this as the deal is set to focus on production from west and east Africa.

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Graça Machel

Public figures from Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia and several other African countries were featured on the list, including Folorunso Alakija, Lupita Nyong’o, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Angélique Kidjo, Winnie Byanyima, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Bonang Matheba, Fatou Bensouda, Tara Fela-Durotoye and many more.

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F O R B E S T O P 5 0 : AFRICA’s MOST POWERFUL WOMEN ———————————————————— It is an Honour to be counted amongst the Top 50 Most powerful women in Africa . African women in business ,politics ,sports ,entertainment ,civilsociety & media . What a way to count down to my 43rd Thank you Forbes for the recognition . May we all be recognized for the work we have done .Amen #FORBESLIST #MOSTPOWERFULWOMEN #TOP50

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Speaking on the coveted title, entrepreneur and public speaker, Fela-Durotoye wrote, “It is an honour to be counted amongst the Top 50 Most powerful women in Africa. African women in business, politics, sports, entertainment, civil society & media. What a way to count down to my 43rd Thank you Forbes for the recognition. May we all be recognized for the work we have done. Amen.”

See the full list here.

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“This collaboration is about taking on the challenge of telling women’s stories and showing women in all their diversity. It’s about making visible the invisible, and proving that only by fully representing and including women on screen, behind the camera and in our narratives overall, society will truly flourish,” said Anita Bhatia, UN Women Deputy Executive Director.

Honored to be one of the women from around the world (and one of the only two women from Africa ) to curate a collection of titles on Netflix for their 158 million members globally called "Because She Watched", celebrating the power of women’s stories and the official IWD 2020: https://t.co/RRIPkcDHTR

— Kemi Adetiba (@kemiadetiba) March 4, 2020

Created for International Women’s Day, whose official theme this year is “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women’s Rights,” the collection celebrates the stories that have inspired the women who inspire us. These series, films and documentaries – Unbelievable, Followers and Luna Nera  to Orange is the New Black, Lionheart and Sex Education – have started important, often difficult, conversations that have helped to challenge the way we see the world.

“Having a world where everyone is truly represented is about true democracy. And truly seeing ourselves allows us to envision endless possibilities for ourselves, and each other”, said actress Laverne Cox. “Orange is the New Black is the first project where I felt genuinely empowered as a woman, thanks to the woman at the helm of the show, Jenji Kohan, and the many women directors, writers, producers and crew members as well as the stories that centered diverse women in an unprecedented way. This show created a space and platform for me as a black openly trans woman that created space for other openly trans women of all races to be truly seen in the depth of our humanity”.

The collection is available at Netflix.com/becauseshewatched – or by searching for “Because She Watched” on Netflix. Every title in the collection will be labelled “XXXX’s Women’s Day Pick” so members can easily see who picked which story. In addition, members will be able to choose from a selection of “Because She Watched” profile icons to celebrate their favourite female characters from the collection.

See the list of women who curated the Because She Watched collection below:

Alejandra Azcárate  (Colombia) – Vis a Vis

Alice Wu  (United States) – Frances Ha

Andrea Barata Ribeiro  (Brazil) – Sex Education

Anna Winger  (Germany) – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Ava DuVernay  (United States) – A Wrinkle in Time

Barbara Lopez  (Mexico) – Scandal

Beren Saat  (Turkey) – Bird Box

Bruna Mascarenhas  (Brazil) – Quien Te Cantará

Cecilia Suárez  (Mexico) –  Marriage Story

Chris Nee  (United States) – Orange is the New Black

Christian Serratos  (United States) – The Goop Lab

Cindy Bishop  (Thailand) – Anne with an E

Elena Fortes  (Mexico) – Atlantique

Esther Acebo  (Spain) – Chef’s Table: Bo Songvisava

Fadily Camara  (France) – How to Get Away with Murder

Fanny Herrero  (France) – Je Parle Toute Seule

Fatimah Abu Bakar  (Malaysia) – Babies

Francesca Comencini  (Italy) – What Happened, Miss Simone?

Giovanna Ewbank  (Brazil) – The Most Beautiful Thing

Hanna Ardéhn  (Sweden) – Silence of the Lambs

Hazar Ergüçlü (Turkey) – House of Cards

Hend Sabry  (Egypt) – Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold

Ida Elise Broch  (Norway) – RuPaul’s Drag Race

Janet Mock  (United States) – Paris Is Burning

Joyce Cheng  (Hong Kong) – Queer Eye

Juliana Vicente  (Brazil) – When They See Us

Kemi Adetiba  (Nigeria) – King of Boys

Kiara Advani  (India) – Lust Stories

Lali Espósito  (Argentina) – Notting Hill

Lana Condor  (United States) – Grace and Frankie

Lauren Morelli  (United States) – Julie & Julia

Laurie Nunn  (United Kingdom) – The Keepers

Laverne Cox  (United States) – A Call to Courage

Liz Garbus  (United States) – She’s Gotta Have It

Logan Browning  (United States) – Someone Great

Lynn Fainchtein  (Mexico) – 2001: A Space Odyssey

Marcela Benjumea  (Colombia) – Dead to Me

Mercedes Morán  (Argentina) – Aquarius

Mika Ninagawa  (Japan) – In the Realm of the Senses

Millie Bobby Brown  (United Kingdom) – Miss Americana

Mina El Hammani  (Spain) – ¿Qué Coño Está Pasando?

Mindy Kaling  (United States) – Chewing Gum

Mira Lesmana  (Indonesia) – ROMA

Mithila Palkar  (India) – Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette

Nahnatchka Khan (United States) – Young Adult

Ngô Thanh Vân  (Vietnam) – Wonder Woman

Nosipho Dumisa  (South Africa) – Gravity

Pathy Dejesus  (Brazil) – Raising Dion

Paulina Garcia  (Chile) – Deux Jours, Une Nuit

Petra Costa  (Brazil) – Feminists: What Were They Thinking?

Salma Hayek  (Mexico) – Unbelievable

Sandi Tan  (Singapore) – Russian Doll

Shefali Shah  (India) – Delhi Crime

Sophia Loren  (Italy) – The Crown

Yalitza Aparicio  (Mexico) – Knock Down the House

About Netflix

Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service with over 167 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries and feature films across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without adverts or commitments.

About UN Women

UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.

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When asked about her fondest memories, Pearl admits, “There was a day I cried because [Kate and myself] didn’t get to finish our fight scene because of time constraints, over time and general pressures on set. I think that was when I realised how invested I was – not just in the scene but in the idea of everyone being aligned with the vision, because we are making history and doing what no one has ever done before.”

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HIGH FASHION !!!! ART !!!! Thank you so much @schickmagazine !!! This was an incredible experience with incredible people in the incomparable LAGOS!!!!

A post shared by Pearl Thusi (@pearlthusi) on Feb 26, 2020 at 9:39am PST

Taking the conversation slightly away from the days on set to how working on the project has changed the actors, Kate opens up to SCHICK about something more personal. “I think [Pearl and I] talk a lot about Imposter Syndrome. I’m like a small, unknown indie actress and Pearl is a massive celebrity! So, I’ve often felt like a bit of an outsider but I really feel like with everything I’ve done [in this series], I’ve really shown what I can do.”

The co-actors go on to discuss their plans post-premiere, which takes place at The Joburg Theatre tonight, and more!

Watch the full interview with SCHICK Magazine below:

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about their fondest memories from the set, overcoming Imposter Syndrome and plans for the future! Head over to IamSCHICK.com for more #SCHICKXNetflix #LetsBeSCHICK

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Queen Sono is out on Netflix on 28th February! Follow @schickmagazine for all the live updates from the premiere on Thursday, 27th February.

The post PEARL THUSI AND KATE LIQUORISH ON FONDEST MEMORIES FROM THE ‘QUEEN SONO’ SET, IMPOSTER SYNDROME AND FUTURE PLANS appeared first on SCHICK.

However, we have learned – as is Netflix culture- an original series from Nigeria is underway and it would have actor, Ade Laoye as its leading lady and the project would be shot in Lagos. The series would tell the story of “Kemi, a goddess reincarnated as a human to avenge her sister’s death.”

The series will be co-directed by Akin Omotosho, C.J. Obasi and Daniel Oriahi, produced by Kemi Lala Akindoju and will feature top actors such as, Kate Henshaw, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Joke Silva, Bimbo Akintola and Kehinde Bankole.

The release date is yet to be announced but this is great news for the Nigerian film industry as it would create more opportunities for the creative.

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