Mungoba explores identity, survival in ‘Tarred Blemishes’

In Namibia, documentary filmmaking has often lived in the background. Unlike music videos, television shows or commercial productions, documentaries rarely receive major attention or funding. Yet, despite the challenges, local filmmakers continue using the genre to tell real stories about people, culture and everyday life.

Award-winning creative director and filmmaker Othilia Tutu Mungoba’s latest short documentary, ‘Tarred Blemishes’, is already starting conversations online. The documentary follows members of the Mwila tribe from Angola, locally known by many Namibians with the popular plea ‘Penge o’dollar’ , or ‘Twalulilwa kokandjala’ (give me a dollar, or we are hungry), as they move through the streets of Windhoek searching for work and better opportunities. Often seen at traffic lights and busy streets around the city, the community has become familiar to many residents, yet very little is known about their lives beyond what people see from a distance.