REVIEW - Third Floor Pigu (Directed by Innocent Kawooya, Richard Nolton Ssekiwunga, George William Ssevubya, George Kasakya)

Third Floor Pigu is a new horror/thriller feature intertwined with a romantic plot created in Tanzania and Uganda, produced by HiPipo, NG Films, and Koncepts and Sakyas, and which represents a collaboration between four celebrated directors; Richard Nolton Ssekiwunga, George William Ssevubya, George Kasakya, and finally Innocent Kawooya - who also takes the helm, not only as the lead male, but as a producer (and co-writer, alongside Joseph Kimbowa).

Completed in late 2024, and with a run time of roughly 1 hour 13 minutes, Third Floor Pigu was made on an impressive budget of $580,000 - and does a good job of showcasing the beauty of the filming locations. Most of the movie dialogue is in English, with some parts spoken in Swahili - with accompanying subtitles, which do help make it easier to understand.

The story follows our two protagonists, Dalima, a charming and loyal Ugandan gentleman (played by Innocent Kawooya) who is in love with his girlfriend Nana, a beautiful and strong-minded Tanzanian lady (played by Nasra Mohamed Bawazir) - as they take a romantic break together.

Dalima and Nana are driven through a sleek urban nightscape en route to their hotel getaway in Dar es Salaam, with the journey giving us some rather beautiful vistas, as the roads and buildings are gently illuminated by the twinkling lights of the city. However, as Geoffrey Chaucer once said: "All good things must come to an end" - and it isn't long before the happiness and levity gives way to unease and fear.

Upon checking into the hotel our courting couple begin experiencing supernatural strangeness and paranormal peculiarities as an evil ethereal entity traps them both on the third floor of the building, where they "must confront the horrors that test their bond and will to survive."

According to the synopsis of the film: "The hotel, once a place of refuge, turns into a haunting labyrinth where every hallway leads to an encounter with death. As the couple tries to survive, their emotional connection is tested as they fight to stay alive in a place that’s slowly consuming them both physically and mentally."

"Haunting laughter and nightmarish horrors unfold with each step as Dalima and Nana navigate their terror-filled environment."

There is much to commend here, and it is clear that great passion, creativity and effort has brought this story to life. Overall the performances are fair. There are always areas which could be improved, and for this film, a wider variety of music tracks may have helped to better set the atmosphere and tone of some scenes. Some of the dialogue, particularly in the first half, seemed more complicated and convoluted than it needed to be as well.

However, that said, the response to this feature on the international film festival circuit has been beyond impressive, and according to ShowBiz Uganda: "Third Floor Pigu has now made history as the most selected African film ever on the global festival circuit!"

The article goes on to describe this incredible recognition as "remarkable" and "astounding".

Commenting on the achievement, actor, writer, producer and director, Innocent Kawooya said: "We couldn’t be prouder. We are happy and excited about this whole thing."