Editor
An unflinching look at the #FeesMustFall student movement that burst onto the South African political landscape in 2015 as a protest over the cost of education. The story is told by four student leaders at Wits University and their Vice Chancellor, Adam Habib, a left-wing, former anti-apartheid student activist. When Habib’s efforts to contain the protest fail, he brings 1000 police on to campus. There are dire consequences for the young leaders. By blending dramatic unfolding action with a multi-protagonist narrative, much of the drama lies in the internal struggles the activists have around the weight of leadership. Threaded through the film is a pulse of anticipation, shared across the generational divide, that somehow these youth have reached breaking point and won’t back down until they achieve the kind of social transformation that previous generations had long given up on.
Production Design
Kena and Ziki long for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls resist and remain close friends, supporting each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, the two girls will be forced to choose between happiness and safety.
Director
Part travelogue, part urban allegory – and a fresh perspective on Jozi. Filmmakers Lalloo and Walsh, drawing on a rich tradition of city- centred direct cinema practitioners, bring together a team of women directors, and offer a curious record of life in urban Jozi that de-mystifies the oft-maligned metropolis. Shot over the course of a single day and along the length and breadth of Jeppe, we meet 5 charming characters. Familial love is behind Congolese restaurateur Arouna’s success, nostalgia binds Ravi to his dusty framing shop that has been in his family for over 3 decades, ambition drives JJ’s ruthless property development, tradition is at the heart of acapella singer Robert’s all male Zulu choir, and everyday philosophy gives urban recycler Vusi his momentum. In one day these characters reveal the city’s textures and breathe life into the decayed inner city neighborhood.
