10 Questions For: Esosa E

Meet entrepreneur, producer and actress Esosa Endosomwan, who has been named an ’Afro-Renaissance Woman’ by the Weekend Argus. Born in New York, Esosa’s multiple talents have led to her inclusion in Applause Africa’s ’30 Most Intriguing Africans in New York’. Amongst writing and directing short films, Esosa also created ‘Raw Girl in a Toxic World’, a holistic blog aimed at a healthy lifestyle.

1. How would you describe what you do for a living?
I’m a creative entrepreneur. I produce and act in films and television, write scripts and books about health, and design clothing.

2. What is your most vivid childhood memory? 
Watching the The Sound of Music. It was my favorite film as a kid.

3. If you could invite any three people, dead or alive, for dinner, who would they be and why?

James Baldwin – He is my favourite writer.

[Jean-Michel] Basquiat – He is my favourite visual artist of all time.

Thomas Sankara – He was one of my favourite African leaders.

I’d love to chat art, creativity, and revolution with them.

4. If you ever found yourself auditioning for a music reality TV show, what song would you sing and why? 
Anyone who knows me well knows that I seriously would never, ever, audition for a music reality show or any reality show for that matter -even though I can carry a tune. However, my go-to for karaoke is Lauryn Hill’s version of ’Killing Me Softly’.

5. How would you complete this sentence?  
The South African cabinet should include a Minister of __________Anti-Corruption.

6. What would you say is the biggest misconception about you? 
That I must be insanely busy all of the time and juggling many projects at once. There is a little overlap and yes sometimes things get hectic, but in order to get things done I have to hone in and focus on one project at a time until it’s complete.

7. What is your (honest) opinion of Cape Town? 
I love Cape Town; I think it’s one of the most beautiful cities I have ever lived in. It reminds me of Los Angeles in some ways, but it feels to me like a very small town. Everyone seems to be connected by one or two degrees of separation!

8. What's the greatest fear you've had to overcome to get where you are today? 
The fear of failing. I don’t believe I’ve really overcome it, I have just trained myself to act in spite of the fear.

9. What's the one thing you'd like to achieve before you die? 
Before I leave this world I will secure investment capital for and produce a slate of ten or more film projects that feature stories from the African diaspora; tell African stories we have never seen on the big screen. Africa’s storytelling tradition is so rich. There is so much great material, fictional and historical, that I think should be translated into films.

10. Which well-known South African personality would you, without a doubt, be able to beat in a street fight and why? 
I have no idea. For exercise, I take boxing training but I have never gotten into a physical fight. The one time someone tried to beat me up out of jealousy when I was in middle school, I ran away. I love peace, and I run fast; so whoever it was would lose because I’d be off faster than they could catch me!

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A FEW OF OUR OTHER 10Q CANDIDATES:

10 Questions For Cape Town Artist and Author Leeorah Hurksy

10 Questions For Cape Town TV Presenter and Radio Personality Zoë Brown

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