Is Zollywood going to take over? Maybe.

“Cook Off” is Zimbabwe’s Netflix debut, a charming romantic-comedy directed by Thomas Brickhill.

The story focuses on a young single mother, Anesu, who has a natural flair for cooking. Her son pushes her to participate in a televised cooking competition and it’s there that she unexpectedly finds love as well as other trials and tribulations (No spoilers!)

You’d be surprised to find out that the film only cost $8000 dollars to produce in total.

Tendaiishe Chitima, who plays Anesu, recalled when speaking with The Guardian that “it was not like a luxury shoot where you have your own trailer and you are big on wine… Everything was very minimalistic. We had to get things right the first time or the second time.”

This is phenomenal as although the budget is small in comparison to its Netflix counterparts, this never ever takes away from the story. The movie beautifully captures the essence of everyday Zimbabweans with it’s cheeky and clever script.

The majority of the movie was shot on the set of “Battle of the Chefs” – which aired it’s third and final season in 2017 despite plans to produce a fourth season. Cook Off was filmed shortly after production ceased. The cast even borrowed the set, equipment and outfits used for the real cooking show. If they hadn’t “there would not have been any movie” according to the director.

Initially, none of the cast or crew were paid for their work and their daily expenses were limited to $20. This was largely due to restrictions in accessing cash and the consequences of hyperinflation in the country. The team found themselves sourcing cash often.

With all these challenges, the crew still had to fight against power cuts and even some of the cast being affected by tear-gas thrown at an anti-government protest.

This isn’t to be pitied but rather a display of how great Zimbabweans can be even when limited.

“The movie shows the other side of our story. That we are resilient and have dreams.” – Tendaiishe Chitima

Zimbabwe’s first-ever Netflix entry has set a high standard and if the initial reaction is anything to go by, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more Zim talent being picked up in the near future for more projects.

The use of Shona throughout the movie is important as well as there are phrases and colloquialisms that wouldn’t have had as much impact if said in English.

The movie is very exciting as for a while it has felt as though Zimbabwean art and creatives have not been given a fair chance on a big platform. This movie signals what could be the beginning in more funding towards local projects.

The aunties seen calling out to and gossiping with Mai Anesu (Anesu’s mother) are pleasant addition and each time they feature on-screen audiences are guaranteed a giggle. They are on screen for no more than a minute at a time and probably only up to five minutes in total, but their presence is a lovely addition.

This movie is earns it’s description of “feel-good” and is worth a watch for it’s effortless command of a minimalist stage.