From filimu enjogerere to the global stage

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For many of us who grew up watching translated movies (‘filimu enjogerere’)the experience was never just about the film itself. It was about the VJ. These VJs (or Veejays) had a unique gift: they spiced up films, added humour, emotion, and local flavour, and turned foreign stories into something deeply relatable. Even when some went off-script or “watered down” the original storyline, audiences loved it. Characters were given local names, situations were adapted to familiar settings, and catchphrases were born. Many of these moments became trends in their own right.

Growing up in Kajjansi along Entebbe Road, where VJ Jjingo and VJ KK had movie halls, I vividly remember the unmistakable voice of VJ Jjingo booming through action-packed VHS films. Sometimes we watched from a neighbour’s house, completely glued to the screen. Like many kids, we would later imitate the voices, jokes, and delivery of our favourite VJs. That was the magic.

As time went on, more VJs entered the scene, dubbing films in different local languages. What started as a grassroots practice evolved into a full-blown cultural movement. VJs became celebrities in their own right, sometimes commanding fanbases larger than the films they dubbed. Despite attempts by some critics to label translated or dubbed films as “for the illiterate,” the truth is that many highly literate people genuinely enjoy them. The demand has only grown stronger over the years.

Today, dubbed films have reached a new level of structure and accessibility. There are now platforms, both websites and apps, where fans can subscribe and pay about UGX 30,000 per month to watch films dubbed by their favourite VJs. Of course, questions around copyright and licensing exist, but that’s a conversation for another day.

In a powerful moment of recognition and celebration of this uniquely Ugandan art form, celebrated VJ Emmy became the subject of a documentary by French film director Marion Desmaret. The documentary, titled Forget the Director, This Is Emmy’s Cut!, shines a spotlight on VJ Emmy’s craft and cultural impact.

VJ Emmy also travelled to Rotterdam, Netherlands, to attend the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). While there, he conducted a live dubbing session for EATEN ALIVE UGANDA, a new film by Isaac Nabwana of Wakaliwood, which had its world premiere at the prestigious festival.

If you ask me, this is a moment worth celebrating. It’s a powerful reminder that Ugandan creativity, born in video halls, living rooms, and neighbourhoods, is now commanding attention on the global stage. One of our own is in the spotlight, and that matters.

#MakingUgFilmsFamous

Written by

Kasule Douglas Benda

I’m a professional performing artist, an acting coach, film director, actors’ agent and more.

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