Francois is one of the unhappiest self-loathing closeted gay men we have ever seen on film. He’s a middle-aged South African who is first seen celebrating his daughter’s wedding in what appears to be a happy family. He is cold and matter of fact with his wife, but that almost seemed like a natural … Continue reading
This documentary was shot in 2010 but because the setting is the rather deprived Cape Flats area of Cape Town in South Africa, it has a very distinctly old fashioned feel to it. The area is populated by ‘Coloureds‘ a multi-racial ethnic group, and time has definitely stood still for the local populace, especially … Continue reading
The fact that ‘moffie’ is the South African equivalent of ‘faggot’ sets the tone for one of the most harrowing coming-of-age films we have ever seen. It is set in South Africa in 1981 in the midst of apartheid where the white minority still dominate and persecute the ‘colored’ population. They however are not … Continue reading
At one point in this movie the lead character, Nicholas Van der Swar (Kai Luke Brummer) is warned “Try to stay invisible” but there is nowhere to hide as director Oliver Hermanus slowly and powerfully strips individuality and intimacy away from him. Conscripted at sixteen into the white supremacist army defending the apartheid of … Continue reading
Thanks to Nelson Mandela, South Africa has one of the best constitutions and legal rights frameworks for queer people globally. A nation’s queer human rights usually affects the tone of the film-making in that country. For example, queer film-making out of Muslim countries often contains far more angst-ridden themes than films from more … Continue reading