'Treasure Hunt' is a heart-warming tale of faith and courage

A new local film, "Treasure Hunt", is bringing a heart-warming story about faith and courage to South African cinemas later this month.

Filmed in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, and directed by Chim Onyebilanma, shows real-life challenges mixed with themes of grace, second chances and love.

It had its first screening at the American Black Film Festival in Miami and is now ready for a grand debut in South Africa.

"Treasure Hunt" tells the powerful story of a man trying to escape a troubled past. During a turning point in his life, he finds a stash of jewellery in a bin and faces a tough choice: Should he keep it for himself or do the right thing and return it?

This moral dilemma is at the heart of the film, highlighting the importance of holding onto one’s values, even when life gets tough.

"Treasure Hunt" will premiere on Friday, October 17, at Killarney Mall CineCentre in Johannesburg and in Durban at Suncoast CineCentre. 

The movie will then screen for one week starting on October 17 in both cities.

Onyebilanma, who is also a pastor, is deeply passionate about shedding light on real-life issues faced by many people.

He believes that everyone has their own battles and wants to share a message of hope through the film.

"This is more than a film. It's a message of hope. It's about the real battles people face every day, and the choice to believe that your story isn't over. Whether you're coming for the action, the message or the love story, 'Treasure Hunt' is a film the whole family can enjoy - and one South Africans can be proud of," said Onyebilanma. 

The cast includes well-known actors like Moopi Mothibeli, Muzi Mthabela, Trevor Gumbi, Zane Meas and Samukele Mkhezie.

"Treasure Hunt" intentionally aims to show viewers the lives of people in poor communities, reminding everyone that they have hopes and dreams just like anyone else.

"I wanted to bring out the voice of people who are often voiceless," said Onyebilanma.

Onyebilanma shares a personal connection to the film, explaining: "Every Thursday we take out our trash, and there are people who come and go through our trash, and often in our neighbour chat groups we have conversations about it. People assume that poor people are criminals.

He continued: "I work in the area, I am a Christian minister, and I see people with such deep integrity even though they lack things, and I wanted this story to highlight the inequalities in our country and to highlight that treasures can be found in trash."

He referred to how people often judge others based on their social status, and he wanted to challenge those perceptions through the story of his main character.

"The film takes viewers into the valley, into the homes of the poor community, and the very rich. It's a story for the whole family because it ends by reinforcing the truth of, 'Let's do what is right'. 

"I wrote the script for viewers to look at these people and see that they are real people who have hopes and aspirations.

The movie was filmed in the heart of the Valley of a Thousand Hills, and Onyebilanma said the locals offered their talents, homes and cars to make it happen. 

"The film was a community effort. So we had people in the poor areas give us their houses; some of them were extras. It even made other people go to areas that they normally wouldn't go to."

Adding international expertise to the film’s production was celebrated cinematographer Isaac Alongi, who served as director of photography.

The executive producers also included Frances Dlongolo and Kike Adeniyi.

"We aimed for a high-quality film in terms of the visuals, so we were blessed to have a lot of well-known actors get on board because they understood the story and wanted to be a part of it. 

"We wanted to tell a story that can celebrate how we can bridge the divide. You may not see it in the headlines, but there are people who are trying to make this country better and give back."