Celebrated photographer Andrew Tshabangu speaks to the Mail & Guardian about collaborating with Rene-Paul Savignan on a powerful project to document the diversity of spiritual practices on Réunion Island and in South Africa.
Author: Mail & Guardian
War Witch
An Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, War Witch is the story of 12-year-old Komona who is abducted by African rebels and forced to fight in a civil war against her government. Her ability to see spirits/visions makes her the favourite of the main rebel leader and she decides to escape them. While war rages, love develops between Komona and her 15-year-old friend Magician. They try to flee to his uncle’s home but fate has other plans for her. Set in sub-Saharan Africa and filmed mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, director Kim Nguyen poignantly captures the stories of child soldiers and the horror of war.
New TV drama on SA screens
Isibaya is a new Zulu television drama series on South African screens. It is set against the backdrop of South Africa’s taxi industry and tells the story of a generational battle for wealth and power between the Zungus and the Ndlovus, two rival families that live in Thukela Valley. In the past, the two families battled over cattle but the taxi business has become the new hot commodity. Scenes depicting the Ndlovu home were filmed at taxi legend Godfrey Moloi’s mansion in Protea-Glen, Soweto. Moloi, known as the godfather of Soweto, was also the inspiration behindIsibaya. For more about Isibaya, read Rhodé Marshall’s review.
Our World is Round
Our World is Round is a short film by Kenyan filmmaker and artist Mũchiri Njenga about the country’s star cyclist, David Kinjah. It chronicles how Kinja discovered the sport and turned it into a professional career. Kinjah’s efforts to transform the lives of the people in his village through the power of the bike is inspirational, and has resulted in an initiative called the Safari Simbaz Trust. The organisation gives underprivileged youth in Kenya the opportunity to develop their athletic prowess.
God Loves Uganda: Trailer
Roger Ross Williams’s feature documentary explores the role of the evangelical American movement in Africa, with a particular focus on Uganda. It follows the Kansas City-based International House of Prayer and local religious leaders who are hellbent on eliminating “sexual sin”, and reveals their attempts to influence the Ugandan government to criminalise homosexuality. A review by David Courier of the Sundance Film Festival, where it premiered in January, reads: “Masterfully crafted and astonishingly provocative, God Loves Uganda may be the most terrifying film of the year.” Visit godlovesuganda.com for more.