Rave reviews for local film
Smash hit at box office as public and critics agree
STARRING Khabonina Qubeka in the title role and directed by Kosta Kalarytis, Dora’s Peace has opened to excellent reviews.
Shot on location in Joburg, the film tells the story of Dora, a Hillbrow prostitute who sets out to save a gifted boy from the clutches of organised crime and in the process is forced to rediscover aspects of her own lost humanity.
Following its countrywide release on August 26, film critics have responded positively to this tale of an unlikely heroine and her journey of self-discovery.
IOL’s Theresa Smith calls it “a poignant crime drama” and a “strong and surprise debut from director Kosta Kalarytis”. She adds that Qubeka, whose performance she calls magnetic, 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”. Smith has praise for the script too and for Geo Hohn’s music, which “beautifully underscores the atmosphere, egging on suspense one moment, sharing delight the next”, and for Nic Hofmeyr’s cinematography.
Emmanuel Tjiya, writing in Sowetan, says the film is a “much-needed departure from all the glossy romcoms and launches us on to an exhilarating path of crime drama”. He describes the film as fastpaced, with “a heart-palpitating action sequence central to the screenplay that will leave you begging for more in just the first 15 minutes”.
But it’s Qubeka’s performance that nails it: “With her finesse, Qubeka gently ushers you through a tale of how an adolescent mistake turned the world of a once naive village upside-down, thrusting her into a dark world of prostitution and drugs in downtown Jozi.
“Qubeka’s genius in her portrayal is that she manages to capture a strong character, with countless demons, but at the same time bring to the table so much heart and vulnerability it’s sure to resonate with a female audience”.
Reviewing the film in the Cape Times, Steyn du Toit says: “Thanks to the spot-on casting of its lead actress, a new breed of local silver screen icon has the potential to be born.” What matters most is that audiences are agreeing with the critics. On its opening weekend, the film took 85 percent of the box office of Yesterday (South Africa’s Oscar submission in 2004), 309 percent of Life Above All (South Africa’s Oscar submission in 2010), and 106 percent of Monster’s Ball, which earned Halle Berry an Oscar for Best Actress in 2002.
“Dora’s Peace is in good company and performing well in its intended market,” says Helen Kuun, of Indigenous Film Distribution, local distributors of the movie.
“It’s clear that the film has a message for women across South Africa and across generations, about deriving the strength to stand up for themselves and what they believe in. But what is most exciting is Khabonina Qubeka’s performance as Dora. She’s an actress to watch and local audiences can look forward to seeing her next year in Gersh Kgamedi’s She is King.”
View the trailer here: https:// www. youtube. com/ watch?v=b_quAQpZoSI