Documentary Focus I N KQ U B O -MB a LI S E L O
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DOCUMENTARY FOCUS I N KQ U B O -MB A LI SE L O South African films Compiled by CHEREZAAN BASADIEN even, she takes a bet with her friends that Corlet, an orphanage director with a literary Audiovisual Selector she can make a star out of the school's bent. Years later, with the orphanage in dire dorkiest boy, Wimpie Koekemoer – the financial straits, Corlet sells a group of the biggest geek in school. Wimpie is constantly older orphans to Bedel, who brings them to outh Africa has a long history of film embarrassed by his conservative mother a farm where they are fed little and worked production and has therefore one of and his strange father, especially in front mercilessly. When Twist dares to demand the oldest film industries in the world. S of girls. Katrien and her friends Liezl and more food, Bedel beats him, then takes him The industry is growing at an exceptionally Christie decide to give Werner a taste of his to a family-run funeral home, where he starts competitive rate and competes internation- own medicine by planning to make Wimpie work as a gravedigger. He does well there, ally in areas such as providers of quality con- the new centre of the first team. Wimpie until his fellow workers grow jealous of him tent, creative workmanship, and as a service dreams of being popular, and now his dream and start trouble. Faced with returning to region. Over the past ten years could unexpectedly become a reality. It the farm, Twist chooses to run away. At a the industry has produced an array of turns out rugby is a lot harder than Karien highway rest stop, he's found by Dodger award-winning films. Some of the best and Wimpie anticipated and he almost gives who brings him to the vicious Bill Sykes local and international films to be shot up. Fortunately his unexpected popularity and his pretty girlfriend, Nancy. They take in South Africa include: Yesterday, Tsotsi, leads to friendship with school rascals Japie Twist to Cape Town, where he falls in with UCarmen Ekhayelitsha, Hotel Rwanda, and Fanie. The mischievous duo convince Fagin and his crew of young scam artists, Catch a fire, Lord of war, Blood diamond, Wimpie to keep playing rugby, even though including Charley Bates. Twist is arrested for District 9, Invictus, and many others that they're much more interested in pajama robbing an old man, but rather than press have hit international screens. parties with girls. Katrien falls unexpectedly charges, Ebrahim Bassadien, a wealthy Muslim, In this article I am reviewing a selected in love with Wimpie, until she realises he is takes Twist in and shows him a new way of few DVDs that are available in the SN merely using her. life. This is an excellent adaptation of the collection. The selection will appeal to a Dickens' classic and the best modernisation wide variety of viewers: there’s something Classification attempt to date. This is definitely worth for everyone, ranging from inspirational, Parental guidance: 13; Sex and Language. seeing! comedy, sad to historical. Encourage your Boy called Twist / producers, Aurelia Driver, users to view some of these. Awards Clare van Zyl; director, Tim Greene Official selection Festival de Cannes Tous, les Bakgat / director, Henk Pretorius Cinemas du Monde This is is a unique and modern take on Winner Best Feature Apollo Film Festival Oliver Twist, the classic Charles Dickens Bakgat is about finding yourself, despite 2005. being still in high school. The film focuses novel of a young orphan's search for love. Classification on Katrien who is dumped by her boyfriend, Twist is sent to an orphanage when his Parental guidance: Language. high school rugby star, centre Werner ‘Killer’ mother dies shortly after giving birth to Botha, so he can focus on his sport. To get him. He's given his new name by Mrs Kaapse Bibliotekaris, Mei/Junie 2012 5151 DOCUMENTARY FOCUS I N KQ U B O -MB A LI SE L O Bunny Chow / producers, Kagiso Lediga, own. There try. Faced Isaac Kaminsky, Leanne Callanan; director, is Zane, the with ever John Barker eldest, 31, mounting the twins challenges, Bunny Chow follows the raucous and often Munier and hardships ridiculous weekend journey of three stand– Marwaan and personal up comedians, who embark on a road trip (28), and turmoil, An- to Oppikoppi, South Africa’s biggest annual Reza (27), gus quickly rock festival. who is gay. spirals down Kags, Dave and Joey are three friends from One day into a life Johannesburg who want to be stand-up Abeeda goes consumed comedians but show more skill with beer- to the casino by anger, fuelled trash talk. Joey is, by South African with a friend, fear and definition, coloured; a devout yet conflicted and wins destruction Muslim. He mines his relationship with his R4,500. She but then is stunned Chinese girlfriend, Angela, for material. Dave, turns around and weaves together the mov- by the winnings, and soon finds herself going a somewhat innocent and naive ‘dishwasher’ ing life story of a man who’s manic quest for back, her addiction spiralling out of control. with dreams of making it big and whose material success is slowly transformed into She discovers Reza has Aids, and that he is a love for God and people. As he wrestles black middle-class status is the source of dying. There is also Imran, the man she has with faith, hope, natural disasters and tragic his jokes, struggles to find his groove at the loved her whole life, but who is married to personal loss (his potato crop), his faith microphone. And Kags, the most natural her sister, Zulpha. When they first met, Im- grows, unseen until the harvest. comic of the group, simply cannot keep it ran was engaged to Zulpha, but he soon fell Classification in his pants. He and girlfriend Kim are in in love with Abeeda. When her mother dies, Parental guidance: Language. constant battles over his infidelity – followed this love affair comes to an end, to avoid by their own truth and reconciliation in the scandal and not to hurt her sister who had Hansie / produced and written by Frans bedroom. The three friends decide to hit already been jilted once before. This film Cronjé; director, Regardt van den Bergh the road to attend an open-air music festival focuses on the Cape Muslim view of gam- at Oppikoppi. Joined by Kim, the four slip bling and how easily gambling can become The news of Protea cricket captain out of their normal lives for a few days with addictive. Very engrossing. Hansie Cronjé's involvement with Indian hopes of mass debauchery, drugs, rampant Awards bookmakers and his resulting public sex, true love and conquering the rock Winner Sunday Times Literary Award (The confession rocked the international sporting stages with their comedy show, but they get book) community. His unprecedented rise to a bit more than they have bargained for. Official selection DUBAI International Film glory was followed by the most horrific fall. Awards Festival Hansie, once South African cricket's golden Official selection Toronto International Film Official selection DUBLIN International Film boy, had been stripped of everything he had Festival 2006 Festival held dear: a glorious captaincy, the support of his former team mates and the respect of Official selection AFI Los Angeles Interna- Official selection MIAMI International Film his nation. In its place the stinging rejection tional Film Festival 2006 Festival of cricket administrators and the humiliating Winner Best Actor Sithengi 2006 Winner Herman Charles Bosman Prize (The dissection of his life on international Winner Lionel Ngakasi Awards Most Prom- book). television, made his retreat into depression ising Director, Sithengi Film Festival 2006 Classification inevitable. Hansie's bravest moment in Official selection Rotterdam International Parental guidance: 13; Language. finally Film Festival 2007 confessing Official selection Sydney Film Festival 2007 Faith like potatoes / producer, Frans Cronjé; his Official selection Melbourne International director, Regardt van den Bergh involvement Film Festival 2007. Faith like potatoes is based on the inspiring with bookies Classification true story about Angus Buchan, originally a had suddenly Parental guidance: 16; Sex and Language. Zambian farmer of Scottish descent, who become a leaves his farm in the midst of political unrest tightening Confessions of a gambler / producers, and racially charged land reclaims and travels noose Zaheer Bhyat and Ross Garland; director, south with his family to start a better life around Amanda Lane in the turbulent hills of the KwaZulu-Natal his neck. Midlands in South Africa. With nothing more Hansie Confessions of a gambler is about a Muslim than a caravan on a patch of land and help explores the woman, Abeeda Ariefdien. When she was from foreman Simeon Bhengu, the Buchan very human twenty-nine and nine months pregnant her family struggle to settle in a new coun- husband left her to raise four boys on her drama 5252 Cape Librarian, May/June 2012 DOCUMENTARY FOCUS I N KQ U B O -MB A LI SE L O of a man who, after losing everything he on as his own. He was saved by Percy Classification has worked for begins the painstaking from being drowned in a bucket. Though Parental guidance: Violence. journey back to choosing life. The journey offered the pick of the litter, after a night of is cathartic. We celebrate with him his contemplation he decided to stick with the Skilpoppe / producer, Roberta Durrant; glorious victories on the cricket field but little weakling. He called him Jock and it director, André Odendaal by the same token, we feel the agony of seemed as if the puppy knew that Fitzpatrick Skilpoppe tells the story of Anna Meyer, a his dishonour and the relief when he finally was his master from Day One.