Joburg director wins coveted short film award
DIRECTOR Zwelethu Radebe from Johannesburg has won the Shnit Worldwide Short Film Festival’s Made in South Africa Jury Award for his 30-minute short film submission called The Hangman, a film he made last year about a black prison warder faced with an impossible choice.
The apartheid story, set in 1989, is one of an armed struggle against the systematic oppression of people in South Africa.
Radebe puts individual stories within the greater narrative of apartheid in the film, which uncovers personal struggles that individuals and different families experienced during apartheid. It explores identity, sacrifice and truth.
As a South African artist, Radebe has made it his mission to tell stories that unpack the intricacies of the country’s history. “As we understand where we come from, we understand ourselves better and are empowered to engage with our present environment with wisdom, understanding and sensitivity,” he explains.
The film tells the story of a black prison warder guarding black prisoners. It explores the tensions between the warder and inmates, who see him as a traitor, while it also explores the tensions between the warder and his white colleagues.
“Narratives such as The Hangman do the job of highlighting who we are as humanity, beyond racial stereotypes and issues,” says Radebe, adding that the 30-minute film mirrors the challenges still faced by South African families.
“I hope to challenge audiences by drawing attention to the hidden consequences of some of the choices we make.”
This year 13 South African filmmakers competed for the Jury Prize in the Shnit Made in South Africa Competition, the winners of which were announced on the final night of the festival last night at iKhaya Lodge in Dunkley Square. Other films in the competition included HUM by Willem Grobler (24 mins), Masquerading: To Hell and Back by Sofia de Fay (14 mins), It’s Complicated by Grant de Sousa (17 mins), Overberg by Jacques Naude (7 mins), 427 Types of Weiners by Talya Galasko (3 mins), Lokoza by Zee Ntuli and Isabelle Meyer (18 mins), Until the Silence Comes by Puleng Lange-Stewart and Jannous Aukema (29 mins), Sea Bones by Rob Smith (12 mins), Open Gate by Matthew Robinson (27 mins), Fihla by Meja Shoba (14 mins), Stillborn by Jahmil Qubeka (24 mins), and The Frame and the Flower by Musaed Abrahams and Leanne Brady (13 mins).
Founded in Bern, Switzerland in 2003, Shnit has become one of the world’s biggest short film festivals, taking place simultaneously in eight cities, on five continents over one weekend, from October 18 to 22.
Shnit Worldwide Short Film Festival presents an innovative experience like no other. Shnit has made its mark and established itself as a force to be reckoned with on the global short film scene. This year marks the 8th festival in Cape Town.
Aside from Made in South Africa, 102 films competed in the global Shnit International Competition for the prestigious Flaming Faun Award, which will be handed over in New York City on October 29. Kaapse Bobotie is the staple South African out-of-competition showcase, where 19 local films were screened. In total, 156 films were on offer.
For more information please e-mail allison@divapr.co.za or visit www.shnit.org