Gugu Madonsela
A film shot right here in Durban is making waves on the world stage, and now local audiences will finally get theirchance to watch it on the big screen.
God’s Work, directed by Michael James, will show at SterKinekor Cinema Nouveau Rosebank from 10 to 16 July. This will be the film’s first time showing in cinemas since it started travelling to festivals around the world.
The film was shot among Durban’s homeless communities. It starts off looking like a normal documentary, but partway through, the director himself appears in the film. This unusual choice forces viewers to think about who gets to tell other people’s stories, and whether a filmmaker can ever truly speak for people whose lives are very different from their own.
Director Michael James said the idea for the film came from realising that filming people does not automaticallymean understanding them. He explained that the camera exposed the gap between him and his subjects rather than closing it.
The film has already picked up major recognition overseas. Earlier this year, it won the Radwan El-Kashef Prize for Best Film Addressing an African Issue at the Luxor African Film Festival in Egypt. This prize honours films that deal with African issues powerfully and artistically.
Well-known South African director Ntshavheni Wa-Luruli, who was a judge at the Luxor festival, praised the film for breaking away from old-fashioned filmmaking rules and building something new and authentically South African.
Producer Sithabile Mkhize said the film does not try to speak on behalf of anyone. Instead, she said, it challenges audiences to think about how stories get told, and who has the right to tell them.
God’s Work has strong KZN roots. Besides being filmed in Durban, it features local actors Thobani Nzuza, Mbulelo Radebe, Omega Mncube, Siya Xaba, Zenzo Msomi and Nduduzo Khowa. It has already screened at the Durban International Film Festival, as well as the Joburg Film Festival and the Zanzibar International Film Festival. KZN film lovers now have just seven days to catch this internationally celebrated film before it moves on. Tickets are available for the run at Cinema Nouveau Rosebank from 10 to 16 July.
