Five Pula

Filmmaker and photographer Mosako Chalashika‘s latest edit is a window into the skate scene in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone. Five Pula features Kagiso Leburu, Brandon Majaha, Theo Sean Molaodi, Jason Ndjavera, Moagi Motsumi, D’amico Kebatile and Alvin Kebatile and is dedicated to Philippe Revaka. We asked Mosako about the project, its name and how he got into filming and shooting photos:

“We filmed this video only in the capital city which is Gaborone. We have been filming this video mostly on weekends and sometimes on weekdays. Every weekend we would all meet up at our famous spot in Gaborone which is Main Mall (parking lot) for warm-ups and from there we go ahead to hit the streets. We don’t have a skate park yet so if we are not skating street, we are at Main Mall, which is a smooth flat land area with some DIY obstacles. The skate scene is a very small community. I personally prefer it to be that way because we are all homies and we all look out for each other. The meaning behind Five Pula is that most skaters in Gaborone usually get around the city hitting different street spots by using public transport called the Combi / Quantum, and the price to ride in it is five pula. Pula is our currency. That’s all I’ve been using to get from spot to spot my whole skating life in Gaborone. It’s only this year that things are different when I got my license. But that’s the whole meaning behind the name Five Pula. I’ve been filming videos for a little while now.

I started filming and photography when I moved to Cape Town, South Africa for a three-year photography course at CityVarsity college, which is an arts and media school. Also being around the skate scene in South Africa has helped me a lot, being around experienced photographers / filmers, getting advice from them and constantly missioning in Cape Town got me in the rhythm of filming and photography. I was also working with Session Skateboarding Magazine, which helped me to progress in my photography skills. My main reason why I started filming / photography was because the skate scene in Botswana had never been featured internationally in magazines and other publications, and people don’t really know that there is a skate scene in Botswana, so I figured a camera will do the job. So everything I have learned outside Botswana, in places like South Africa, I apply it when I’m back home.”

Check out more Mosako’s YouTube channel for more videos from Gaberone. We have published some photos by Mosako from the Five Pula project below.