ARTICLE BY: JULIET KAMANGA
This year just keeps on giving. The country has been receiving praise in so many spaces through the talented representatives of the film and TV industry. Mzansi’s latest winner, Khabonina Qubeka starred in a film called Dora’s Peace as the main character Dora. Her portrayal of Dora was so powerful that she took home the Indie Spirit Best Actress Award at the Boston International Film Festival. This is not Khabonina’s first nomination this year, she is in the running for the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress In Leading Role.
Dora’s Peace is about Dora, a Hillbrow prostitute shields a gifted young boy from the violent clutches of organized crime. In the process she may discover aspects of her own lost humanity. This is an interesting Dramatic story that, just from a brief summary, ensures a lot of emotion and conflict. Khabonina’s various nominations prove that she had embraced the role to her full potential. Hopefully we will get to see Khabonina show more of her possible range in more films to come in the near future.
Now for those who may not know, Khabonina is an actress, dancer, choreographer, singer and businesswoman. The multitalented success has been working on her craft since the early 2000s, which just comes to show her journey does not just consist of luck but from hard work and dedication. After years of dancing and choreographing for the likes of Lebo Mathosa and Somizi, Khabonina joined the acting field in 2007 in a lead role in Muvhango and a lead in For Sale of SABC 3.
Since then she had appeared on many shows such as Mtunzini.com as a guest star. She joined the team on SABC’s The Lab as a main character in Season 3, SABC’s The Mating Game, SABC’s Erfsondes, Mzansi Magic’s The Wild, and SABC’s Ihawu Lesizwe.
Khabonina has had a busy career juggling her passions and they have obviously paid off countless times. Her first nomination was at the SAFTA’s for Best Villainess and now Khabonina has moved from local soil to international platforms and we can only hope she continues to grow with the rest of the Film and TV industry. It can only be the beginning for Khabonina and her international recognition. That is all a person could want in the end, to be appreciated for the talents that they worked countless hours for. Khabonina has proved time and time again that “A Jack of all trades, can in fact be a master of them all.”
