^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

The Interpreter (film)

Matobo

See also:

Matobo

Much of the information regarding this film suggests that Matobo is essentially based on Zimbabwe and the flag seems to me to be something of an amalgam of the flags of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Jason Saber, 9 December 2007

National flag

by António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 February 2007

Here is an image of the flag of Matobo as shown in the film, here seen in the windscreen of an embassy limousine. I’m sorry it’s not terribly clear but appears to consist of five unequal stripes of green, yellow and black. The central black stripe is fimbriated by thinner yellow stripes and above and below these are wider green stripes (wider than the central black stripe it seems). From the fly end is a red triangle and on this is the same arrangement of arms as described below with the yellow star, white tusks and crossed spears
Jason Saber, 9 December 2007

I tentatively made it 2+1+2+1+2 (i.e., with the green stripes as wide as the black stripe and the yellow stripes half of that) and made the triangle tip at the center (i.e., ratio = 8:2×√48 ≅ 8:14).

I must say that this is a very well designed flag, both in general and in conveying the "unnamed African county" setting.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 February 2007

National Coat of Arms

by António Martins-Tuválkin, 9 February 2007

The principal charges of the Matoban arms shown here appear to consist of a green circle within red and white rings. On the green circle is a large yellow five pointed star, over which are laid what appear to be two white elephant tusks, and over these are two diagonally crossed spears whose colour is a little indeterminate – possibly a sort of beige or cream for the spear heads and brown spear shafts. The perimeter of the disc is black with the legend “ Republic of Matobo ” with two further white, five pointed stars at either end of this name.

Here are close ups of the arms: an image of the arms as shown on the “Matoban Embassy” in the film and another image on a banner of a protester in the film showing the details of the arms more closely. In the later, the spears appear to be brown with white spear points or spear heads.
Jason Saber, 9 December 2007