Having wrapped up one’s academic life, a number of things join their life list, and that in most cases includes; Marriage, Employment and Independence (for Boys especially). Uganda Student Films Academy (USFA) has taken on the mantle to explore this inevitable stage of growth on both girls and boys in the new web series “GUYS” now airing on their YouTube channel. Find the title on IMDB too.
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“Owing it to the failure of many marriages, there is a need to constantly have this debate with young folks on how to prepare for that stage of life because clearly if you marry the wrong person, your whole life can be ruined like that,” says the Creator, Writer and Director of the web series, Douglas Byaruhanga.
“GUYS” highlights ‘Cohabiting’ as crucial to opening up one’s mind to what they are going into and follows the story of Timo (Abbey Tumusiime) who leaves his parent’s house to start a life on his own with his girlfriend Diana (Shalom Komugisa). All is well until he runs out of money as a result of Diana’s extravagance. His failure to manage her lifestyle leads him into regrettable messes.
Douglas creates characters such as Pia (Elna Grace), Albert (Douglas Byaruhanga) and Kaitlyn (Gift Byamugisha) who represent different societal values in the way they influence the lives of Timo and Diana.
From the very first episode (GUYS: Unmeshed), one can see that Pia is the typical African but civilized wife material. She brags about her love life and advises Diana to raise above the expectations of today’s generation if she wants to beat the odds for her relationship.
Kaitlyn is the direct opposite of Pia. She holds femininity in her highest of regards and she’s ready to tear apart a man who disrespects their capability. She is plainly the type who would never get married in the African Traditional Society or if she did, she wouldn’t survive the beatings. She represents many of the girls of this generation.
On the other hand, throughout the story, Albert leads the debate on a man’s perfect choice for marriage. In the first episode, he’s seen condemning Timo for dating the wrong girl at his age. He is Timo’s best friend and from his views, you can as well notice a chauvinistic man
Diana and Timo generally portray the confusion that happens when you love someone so much but the relationship gets to the stage whereby it’s just not working, the confusion between true love and materialism, and the influence of friends, among others. The results of all that are what make GUYS worth a watch for one to have a clear opinion and judgement on the choices of the two lovers
The first season of the web series also features Shammah Mukuza who plays the landlady and Kagoro Enock who plays Dre, Albert’s younger brother.
Aside from Marriage and Cohabiting, the first season also highlights the frustration and consequences of Unemployment after school. It as well poses a question on responsibility in today’s generation of love relationships
USFA released the calendar for the First Season of the series which has 10 episodes. A new episode is released every Sunday and as per this article, episodes up to ‘Severance’ are out for viewership on YouTube. The last episode of Season One will go live on YouTube on the 29th of January, 2023.
The show is steadily building a strong fan base whereby a number of people have come out to relate with the experiences on the series, many of them appreciating the content, and some are already adorning their favorite characters
Have a look at Episode 4 below, and share your thoughts:
About Uganda Student Films Academy:
Uganda Student Films Academy is a young filmmakers and actors program founded by Dagsnet. “We are devoted to learning through practice” is their slogan. Are you passionate about any activity in film? To join, send a WhatsApp message to +256 770 354 155.
