“Ancestral Visions of the Future”, Interview with Director Lemohang Mosese

February 20, 2025

"This film is a lamentation, an outcry."

"Ancestral Visions of the Future", Interview with Director Lemohang Mosese Federica Scarpa

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At the 75th Berlinale, director Lemohang Mosese presents his latest film, “Ancestral Visions of the Future“, a deeply personal and poetic meditation on memory, loss, and displacement. In this exclusive interview, Mosese reflects on his creative process, the interplay between text and image, and the emotional core of his work.

A Lamentation of Memory and Identity

Described by Mosese as a lamentation, “Ancestral Visions of the Future” explores the tension between childhood memories and the shifting reality of home. The film does not seek to reconstruct the past but rather to express the feeling of searching for something that no longer exists.

Cinema as Poetry

For Mosese, cinema is closer to poetry than prose. His approach to filmmaking is instinctive, fragmented, and deeply symbolic, embracing both real and imagined memories. He trusts his gut feeling, even when certain elements feel surreal or abstract.

A Tribute to Motherhood

A central theme in “Ancestral Visions of the Future” is the figure of the mother—both as a personal and symbolic presence. Mosese credits his mother with shaping his identity and artistic confidence, making the film a tribute to maternal love and resilience.

The Transformative Power of Cinema

Moses describes cinema as his saviour, a force that has shaped his life and given him a voice. Though he rarely watches films, he remains deeply connected to storytelling as a means of self-expression. “Ancestral Visions of the Future” is his most introspective work yet—a raw and unfiltered outcry that invites audiences to interpret its meaning for themselves.

Plot

Ancestral Visions of the Future is a deeply personal work from filmmaker Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese. With fragmented narratives and mythical images, he crafts a haunting reflection on dislocation and belonging. Enter: the Puppeteer, a man who tends herbs that extend people’s lifespans to grant humanity time for redemption. And the Market Seller, a mother who keeps the language of dreams alive in a city that has forgotten how to speak it. The film also explores Mosese’s childhood and his relentless dance to evade death and wrest meaning from loss. From the dusty gravel roads where he played with toy wire cars as a seven-year-old to the dispassionate streets of exile where he dissolved into anonymity, Mosese confronts the moments that shattered and shaped him. His memories intertwine with the presence of his mother, a figure of vigilance and defiance. But Ancestral Visions of the Future is more than the story of one man’s exile – it is also an elegy for a city and a people caught between the weight of memory and the inevitability of loss. And it is a poetic ode to cinema.

Written by: Federica Scarpa

Guest

Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese