Male rage, pallid politicians – what a crime doccie tells us
Craig Freimond’s documentary cuts through the statistics and news headlines that murders generate. It focuses on the factors fuelling violence in South Africa and offers some solutions
‘What can we do?’
In March 2019, actor Sibusiso Khwinana attended the screening of Matwetwe, a movie in which he starred. Afterwards, the 25-year-old was robbed of his cellphone. He chased the thief, caught up with him and was stabbed.
Khwinana died.
He became one of an estimated 57 people murdered in South Africa every day that year.
This is how the documentary, 57, got its title.
In fact, the documentary came about because of the impact Khwinana’s murder had on those around him.
Directed by Craig Freimond – who usually works on feature films – and produced by Ronnie Apteker, the production reflects on often overlooked or omitted facets of crime.
In the documentary, Freimond recalls seeing a frontpage story detailing the trauma some of Khwinana’s relatives were experiencing because of his murder.
“I remember feeling like a wave of ... disillusionment, despair about this society that we live in… For me, why [his killing] was so powerful, it was the death of promise, [the] death of potential,” Freimond says.
“What can we do? All we can do is make films. Why don’t we try to make a film, a small film, about crime.” And so the idea for 57 was born.
For most South Africans, crime is a constant worry. If you’re from the country, you may not want to expose yourself to reams of depressing statistics and the gory details of hijackings, burglaries and robberies.
The documentary, though, churns up nuance and insight that is well worth absorbing. For someone not from South Africa, 57 also provides a comprehensive take on what got the country to this point.
Beyond the obvious
If you’re put off by the idea that it might be a dry, academic analysis of crime, don’t be. It is anything but.
Aside from experts including a criminologist and a psychologist, among the many people interviewed are writers, comedians and actors – some who knew Khwinana – as well as an ex-offender.
Freimond is often filmed driving around, talking to people and being the interviewee. Various areas, from the upmarket to the more informal, are shown. Incorporating different voices and places gives the viewer a sense of being part of a broad, developing and necessary conversation, which 57 will hopefully spur.
Male rage, patriarchy and no political will
The doccie confronts topics head-on and explores why male rage is so prevalent in South Africa, as well as issues relating to patriarchy, the unemployment rate, poverty, and, of course, gender-based violence.
South Africa’s past, including apartheid and colonialism, is also focused on. So too are the country’s politicians, who seem to lack the will to fight crime. (State Capture, which is vital to this, is touched on in 57).
Critical questions are asked. For example, if the government could act so swiftly when Covid-19 numbers started spiking – enforcing lockdowns and getting vaccination stations up and running – why can’t it do the same with crime?
Another issue 57 focuses on is policing, or, as is so often the case, the lack thereof. The topics it explores are heavy, but these are presented conversationally, so the subject matter doesn’t bog down the documentary. While leaving one feeling overwhelmed at just how extensive crime is, 57 also manages to inspire hope.
Care and compassion
The production delves into what drives criminals and what can be done to try to prevent criminality.
The latter starts with how we treat each other, and especially how we treat children. A criminologist explains that research shows that children between three and seven years old who have a year or less of two-hour visits from a social worker weekly, were 50% less likely to be arrested by the time they reached 19.
An ex-offender also explains how one mother decided to take him in and help him when he was released from jail with no money or place to stay.
“So, I was like, I can’t disappoint this person,” he recalls. “Because it seems like if I disappoint her, I’d be disappointing myself.”
‘Life goes on’
“Everywhere we go,” Freimond says in the film, “we talk about crime. But everywhere you look, life goes on.” For Khwinana, though, the actions of a criminal now behind bars means his life no longer goes on.
The documentary adds depth to understanding the true and incalculable impact of what cycles of violence, if left unchecked, can produce.
While rooted in a tragedy, 57 has the potential to broaden the way crime is seen and addressed.
He became one of an estimated 57 people murdered in South Africa every day that year. This is how the documentary, 57,
got its title