Qubeka’s acting the peace de resistance…

DIRECTOR: Kosta Kalarytis CAST: Khabonina Qubeka, Danny Keogh, Hlubi Mboya, Meren Reddy, Paballo Koza CLASSIFICATION: 16 LV RUNNING TIME: 92 minutes RATING: ★★★★✩

DORA’S Peace is a poignant crime drama, a strong surprise debut from director, Kosta Kalarytis.

Shot in Hillbrow, it is as much a portrait of life on the colourful Joburg suburb streets as it is of the main character who gives the film its name, Dora (Khabonina Qubeka, pictured).

The screeching taxis, the hustling vendors, the high-rise apartment blocks filled with nervous refugees, you can practically smell the weird combo of hair relaxer, uncollected garbage and braai meat that permeates the Hillbrow streets.

Like Dis Koue Kos Skat – which also centres on a female protagonist – the camera lingers on Qubeka’s face every chance it gets, with the opening shot tracing her beaten up face with the same predatory gaze she is subjected to by the men she passes at the police station and as she walks home.

Your assumptions about her because of the way she is dressed turn out to be true as we learn Dora is a prostitute who ekes out a living selling her body.

When her friend Connie (Mboya does frantic druggie a little too well, it is unnerving) unexpectedly dies, Dora takes in her young son, Peace (Koza). Initially, she pretends to be his aunt to keep him out of the hands of the police, but the innocently charming kid creeps under her skin. So when it turns out that Connie’s death was not accidental and the bad guys come after Peace, Dora finds herself stirred to get involved.

She turns to an old flame in the form of Stavro (Keogh), who introduces a touch of Greek Joburg sleaze to the proceedings, but ultimately she is the one who has to figure out how to keep Peace away from the bad guys, who are very nasty indeed.

Turns out, though, that Dora is no pushover, but has learnt to be not only a badass, but a badass with a plan. Qubeka creates a complex character, eschewing stereotype to show us an older woman who has learnt to survive – she plays to her strengths and has no mercy.

Peace loves drawing, and is quite good at it, and his questions about the few photos on Dora’s wall stir up memories of her own family. Here your assumptions do you a disservice because you start thinking in one direction. So, when the finale comes, it comes as a surprise, and this is where the script really succeeds because it neatly subverts your expectations.

Geo Hohn’s music beautifully underscores the atmosphere, egging on suspense one moment, sharing delight the next and Nic Hofmeyr’s cinematography makes of Hillbrow a much more intriguing, vibrant exotic place than it is in real life.

But, this is Qubeka’s film, her performance is magnetic.