Entertainment (Commonwealth Union) _ South Africa’s film industry has a rich culture, has developed into a powerful platform. Containing a wide range of films that depict its history, language and customs, it represents the nation’s challenges, triumphs, and ideals on an international scale. Here are 8 South African films that you simply must see, that capture the strength and resilience of this African nation!
- Cry Freedom (1987)
Based on a pair of books written by South African Journalist Donald Woods, Cry Freedom portrays his story alongside that of his friend Steve Biko. Starring Denzel Washington and Kevin Kline, the film is a take on racism, socioeconomic inequality, political corruption, and segregation.
- Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Based on the autobiography of the Renowned South African President, Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, the movie chronicles his life, from his childhood, to his years incarcerated, till he took his place as the President of South Africa. Idris Elba portrayed the anti-apartheid revolutionary, and Justin Chadwick directed the film.
- District 9 (2009)
Combining science fiction with social critique, District 9 depicts an alternate South Africa in 1982, where aliens arrive and are isolated by the government. The film had been inspired by the occurrences in District Six, Cape Town, and is a contemplation on marginalised groups and their injustices.
- Tsotsi (2005)
A crime film set in a slum in Johannesburg, the story revolves around a street thug who finds a baby in the backseat of a car he stole. Tsotsi takes on the difficulties experienced by the impoverished communities in the country, and dives into their reality of power, violence and empathy.
- Skin (2008)
Depicting the story of Sandra Laing, a South African woman who is labelled as coloured despite being born to white parents. The film, inspired by Judith Stone’s novel titled When She Was White, expands on her battle against the apartheid rule and presents a soulful exploration of identity and the effects of racist governance.
- Cry, the Beloved Country
Following Alan Paton’s novel of the same name, Cry, the Beloved Country digs into the life of a Zulu pastor who travels to Johannesburg with the intention of finding his estranged son. The film portrays the city’s slums and, within it, the son as a criminal. Starring James Earl and Richard Harris, among others, the film is a stark representation of poverty, racism, and the consequences of segregation.
- Escape from Pretoria (2020)
Starring the renowned Daniel Radcliffe, the film was critically acclaimed as “one of the most gripping South African movies ever made”. Escape from Pretoria portrays two men getting arrested in 1978 for supporting the African National Congress, as well as the distribution of anti-apartheid propaganda, practices that had been banned since the 1960s. Portraying a breakout from the Pretoria Central Prison, the movie displays a compelling fight for liberation against the tyrannical regimes.
- Fiela’s Child (2019)
A film that explores the complex relationship between race and family, Fiela’s Child centres on a biracial woman who finds a white child abandoned outside her house; despite her caring for the child like her own son, he is taken away from her nine years later and placed with a family of woodcutters who claim that the child is theirs.
