The Citizen (Gauteng)

WHAT TO WATCH

- by Thami Kwazi

► Platform: Showmax

► Info: Starring the late Mary Twala Mhlongo (Black Is King) in her final film role as an 80-year-old widow in Lesotho who ignites a collective spirit of defiance within her community when her village is threatened with forced removals due to the constructi­on of a reservoir. Triple Safta winner Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha (Tsotsi, Five Fingers For Marseilles) narrates, while Makhaola Ndebele (The River) co-stars. This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrecti­on ended 2021 at #6 on MetaCritic’s list of the best reviewed films of the year globally. Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s film also cracked many of the most prestigiou­s Top 10 Films of 2021 lists, placing second on Vulture, third on Slant, fourth on LA Weekly, sixth on RogerEbert.com, seventh on AV Club, and ninth on Paste and The Playlist – not to mention making Vanity Fair’s list of the 21 Most Underrated Movies of 2021 and The Film Stage’s list of The Best Cinematogr­aphy of 2021. The film has won over 33 internatio­nal awards, including the Visionary Filmmaking Prize at Sundance 2020, the Artistic Bravery Prize at Durban 2020, Best Cinematogr­aphy at the African Movie Academy Awards 2020 and the Silver Tanit for Best Film at Carthage 2021. Released in the US last year as part of The Criterion Collection, This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrecti­on has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Vulture hailed it as “the first masterpiec­e of 2021… So gorgeous and spellbindi­ng that it invites repeat viewings.” The Playlist called it one of those films that “reinvigora­tes one’s faith in the artistic capacity of an entire medium.” RogerEbert. com praised it as “a challenge to convention­al Western film language… a welcome one.” – Citizen reporter

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This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrecti­on

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