My name is Charlie Kobong, but my national ID has a mind of its own – it calls me Kobongo, a curious consequence of registering in Buganda, where the local tradition of names ending in “O” left its mark on my identity. Though I hail from the East, my name took a slight detour central, and Kobongo was born.
Growing up, my brothers were obsessed with Jackie Chan movies, and as the youngest sibling, I didn’t have much of a say in what we watched. But hey, it sparked a love for films that would eventually become an all-consuming passion.
Fast forward to my teenage years, when I stumbled upon an R18 film that changed everything – no, not that kind of movie! It was Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece, Pulp Fiction. I was 13, and my mind was blown by the characters, dialogue, and non-linear storytelling. I mean, who starts a movie at the end?! I was hooked, and for the first time, I paid attention to the movie credits – “Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino” became my mantra.
School wasn’t really my thing, but I was a bright kid, and my brothers, well, they were a mixed bag of influences. When I stayed home from school (which was often), I’d watch Film Riot tutorials on my laptop and practice filmmaking with my trusty LG G2 smartphone. Who needs school when you have YouTube, right?
Life had other plans, and I ended up taking a year off school due to financial issues. But I convinced my dad to buy me a camera instead of sending me back to school – best decision ever! My Canon T5i became my new best friend, and I started shooting videos and photos for NGOs, church sermons, and whatever else I could find. And which I still use to this day though not as often.
But my dream of becoming a filmmaker like Tarantino kept nagging me. I needed to get serious, so I started looking for film training opportunities. That’s when I found one by PIFF and Media Vision. And the trainer was Kizito Samuel Saviour who became one of my film mentors. From that training I co-wrote and co-directed a short film. It was the confirmation I needed – this was it; this was what I was meant to do!
More trainings followed, including a hands-on film workshop with Dilstories, where I learned the importance of proper coverage and shooting techniques. I previously shot in a style inspired by Robert Rodriguez’s El Mariachi, where actors would hold still as the camera moved to capture the next shot, creating a static, almost graphic novel-like effect. It was a technique that added a unique flair to my early films, but I knew I needed to evolve and explore new ways to tell stories.
After that, everything fell into place like dominoes. I co-directed a web series called Kabi and Kalo, produced a short film, Not Alone, which gave me my first nominations on film freeway. After that I joined the Sisi Film Collective. Which I wish was available when I started out earlier because filmmaking alone is a multitasking nightmare! Imagine holding a boom and recording, slating, directing and sometimes acting at the same time. That was me. No wonder I didn’t bother with credits – “A Charlie Kobong film was enough (no need to reveal my jack-of-all-trade status). That is reserved for Neil Breen.
So, joining a Collective was a game changer, I was able to focus and improve on the areas of my interest, Writing and Directing. I had to get a similar title card as Tarantino. I then directed Sisi’s first projects in Gulu. Which was a no brainer for me. Making movies while travelling. Talk about the perfect combo!
My Acholi friend warned me about the hot and dry weather. But I packed only light outfits and off I went up North only to face cold and rainy days, talk about false PR. The shoot had unexpected delays but that is something you learn quickly in film; smooth productions are like big foot rumors.
During one shooting, I had a scene with four actors, two didn’t know Acholi and the other two didn’t know English. And all eyes were on me, the clueless middleman. I couldn’t speak Acholi. The whole scene looked like an episode of Mind your language. Luckily filmmaking is a visual medium, I would call action, follow the body language and look at my DOP who knew Acholi for a thumbs up.
In the end, it was all worth it, the scene worked – Thanks again to my DOP. We won best TV series at the Regional Uganda Film Festival awards. I got to meet lots of new people with a daily dose of Oddi. I would gladly do it over again.
Then I directed a feature film – 13 days of rain and power outages (God’s payback for watching Pulp fiction at 13, perhaps?!) Finally, I got to put “Directed by Charlie Kobong” in the credits (bye-bye, Kobongo!).
Now I train filmmakers under the Sisi Film Lab – the ultimate irony! A school dropout turned teacher, getting paid to watch and talk about movies all day (life is good) When people complain about work, I can’t relate. I read scripts and get lost in hundreds of stories.
And that’s my story – from Jackie Chan to Tarantino, and from a smartphone to a feature film. Who knows what’s next? The world is my cinematic playground.