‘Blood Psalms’: Mandisa Nduna on shape-shifting misfits

Mandisa Nduna weighs in on the shape-shifting misfits of Blood Psalms: the Chini tribe in theShowmax Original African fantasy launching Wednesday 28 September 2022.

‘BLOOD PSALMS’: MANDISA NDUNA STARS AS BURUTTI

Mandisa Nduna stars as Burutti, an orphan taken in by the underground Chini tribe, “the cursed ones”.  Nduna, who also raps as ZuluMecca, has starred as Thuli in Hustle, Zen in Emoyeni, and Zethu in She Is King. Take a look at the Chini tribe’s introduction…

Blood Psalms marks Nduna’s third collaboration with director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka after playing Birthmark in his South African Oscar entry Sew The Winter to My Skin. As well as Nobomi SX1, the lead in Stillborn, which won the SAFTA for Best Short Film. 

“When I first read Blood Psalms, I was blown away at how intricate the storyline is,” saidNduna.

“I was also just so impressed by Jahmil’s thought process. But because I trust Jahmil so much when it comes to his craft, I didn’t have to really know the story in detail to want to be a part of it,” she continued.

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THE SHAPE-SHIFTING ‘MISFITS’

In Blood Psalms, the Chini are the misfits of the empire. Driven to live underground, they are hunted and imprisoned by the Akachi. But they are also the guardians of dangerous secrets, and have magical powers that mean they can shapeshift into werehyenas when the moon is full.  

“Burutti is a teenager who grew up as an orphan. Although she attempts to navigate and find her individuality within her tribe, she can’t shake the feeling that she does not belong. Burutti yearns to explore the world outside of her tribe. As an 18-year-old, she believes that there has to be more to life than what she currently knows,” said Nduna.

Burutti’s desire to leave the tunnels sees her clash with both the tribe’s matriarch, Mother Superior  and her son Overseer Mzinzi.

“What’s similar between Burutti and me is our eagerness to always want more out of life. It’s very rare for both of us to be comfortable with the mundanity of everyday life. We both have that burning desire to elevate to the next level and to not stagnate,” she continued.

When asked about the most challenging part of Blood Psalms, she replied “every single scene”.

My character had to do a lot of physical stunts. I had to undergo vigorous physical training for the role – from deadlifts to squats, you name it! I should’ve known that by doing so much physical training, I was definitely going to be challenged when on set. However, a particular scene that pushed me to my limits was when I had to hang upside down – that was extremely difficult to do. But in the same breath, I thoroughly enjoyed doing my own stunts. It was a challenging yet beautiful experience,” she added.

The first two episodes of Blood Psalms will premiere on Showmax on 28 September 2022. New episodes will drop every Wednesday until the end of November 2022.

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