Leo Pakarati is a Zimbabwean film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his award-winning feature films, The Strangling Vine (2013) and The Housemaid (2015).
Pakarati was born in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1985. He grew up in a creative household – his father was a painter, and his mother was an actress.
Pakarati attended the University of Zimbabwe, where he studied English Literature. After graduating, he worked as a journalist, writing about the country’s social and political issues.
In 2007, Pakarati began his film career by writing and directing his first short film, The Strangling Vine. The film won numerous awards at international film festivals and caught the attention of international film distributors.
In 2011, Pakarati wrote and directed his first feature film, The Housemaid. It was a psychological horror film which focused on the dark and disturbing secrets of a wealthy family living in Zimbabwe. The film was critically acclaimed and won numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival.
In 2013, Pakarati wrote and directed his second feature film, The Strangling Vine. The film was a psychological thriller about a family in Zimbabwe struggling to survive in a world of violence and corruption. The film was a critical and commercial success, and won the Grand Prize at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival.
In 2015, Pakarati wrote and directed his third feature film, The Heart of a Lion. The film was a drama about a young man’s journey to find his identity in a world of poverty and crime. The film was a critical and commercial success, and won the Grand Prize at the Zimbabwe International Film Festival.
Pakarati has since directed two more feature films, The Wound (2016) and The Journey (2017). He is currently working on his sixth feature film, The Eagle and the Star, which is set to be released in 2020.
Pakarati is an acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker who has made a significant contribution to Zimbabwean cinema. His films have been praised for their powerful storytelling and ability to capture the complexities of life in Zimbabwe.
