District Six documentary detailing painful story of forced removals racks up another international film award
LOCAL film District Six Rising from the Dust continues to rack up international accolades, this time winning the award for Best Documentary at the Beyond The Curve International Film Festival in France.
The documentary details the painful story of forced removals and restitution, and only four months ago won the Florence Film Award for Best Original Story.
Film director Weaam Williams worked on the film for six years after she moved into a house which was returned to her grandfather, and started documenting the journey of living in District Six.
Williams’s grandfather owned a block of houses and a tailor shop in District Six.
After he returned from Mecca, he found his shop burnt down. Out of the five houses he owned, only one was given back.
The 62-minute documentary unpacks the art, history and social landscape of Cape Town’s most remembered district.
The film features clips from District Six The Musical by David Kramer and Taliep Petersen as well as interviews with the renowned fine artist Sandra McGregor, who painted in the area for more than 20 years.
“I decided to submit the film to international film festivals during the 2020 lockdown period. It was a quiet time which gave me the opportunity to reflect on the body of work already created by Tribal Alchemy Productions,” Williams said.
“I am very happy that the film will be on the Beyond The Curve International Film Festival global streaming platform for free for a period of five days, which means South Africans will be able to watch it.
“District Six Rising from the Dust is not just a film about the past, but rather a film for the future of District Six. It is inextricably linked to the cause of the return of the people to the land,” said Williams.
Kramer said: “Weaam Williams has a very personal story to tell about her family’s forced removal from District Six and their battle to reclaim their property.
“It serves to remind us of the far-reaching consequences political decisions have on real people’s lives.
“It serves to remind us how easily politicians use words and make false promises with devastating effect. And it serves to remind us how current bureaucracies are ill-equipped to deal with the fallout of the apartheid policies and the poorly conceived post-apartheid plans to restore District Six to its original inhabitants.”
Watch the documentary online from June 25-30 on www.bciff.org