For South African actress Ama Qamata, starring in the upcoming Congolese feature film “Fight Like A Girl” is a great honour.
Based on true events, “Fight Like A Girl” centres around a Congolese woman who is forced to work in an illegal mineral mine. When she eventually manages to escape her captors, she finds a new life for herself as a professional boxer in the border city of Goma.
Taking to her Instagram on Thursday, the former “Gomora” star shared the exciting news of her new gig with her 1 million followers.
She wrote: (“I’m) so excited and honoured to be part of this project!!”
Written and directed by Matthew Leutwyler, “Fight Like a Girl” features Nigerian-British actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim alongside Rwandan actors Malaika Uwamahoro, Kennedy Mazimpaka and Arthur Nkusi.
The film also sees Congolese boxing champion Clarck Ntambwe make her acting debut.
Billed as the first-ever Western narrative feature to shoot entirely in the Democratic Republic of Congo, “Fight Like a Girl” is inspired by a real-life boxing club that Leutwyler and producing partner Anton Laines have been following for the past two years as part of an upcoming docuseries.
Congolese NBA star Serge Ibaka and his Ouenzé Entertainment company partner Jordi Vilà Sánchez will also serve as executive producers on the film.
“I had to go through a lot of obstacles from growing up in Congo to being an NBA Champion, and this is a story about Congo and Africa and about how sports can help overcome challenging times in our lives,” Ibaka told the Hollywood Reporter.
“The story about these African women is inspiring and needs to be told,” he added.
Meanwhile, Qamata, plays the role of Puleng in the third season global hit series “Blood and Water”, featuring Mzansi’s finest, the likes of alongside Khosi Ngema, Thabang Molaba, Natasha Thahane, Sello Maake kaNcube, Sonia Mbele and Gail Mabalane.
In this season, ‘lines are crossed and questionable choices are made as our favourite sisters Puleng and Fikile uncover deeper secrets that leave them questioning everything they thought they knew. Tragedies will shake families, horrific uncoverings will leave you silent and heroic actions among our beloved teens may bring some clarity to the truth’.
Created by Nosipho Dumisa, and directed by Mmabatho Montsho, “Blood & Water” season 3 offers “another tangled web of lies with plenty of twists” to keep viewers glued to the screen.
“Blood & Water” season 3 is streaming on Netflix.