We, the people of the village, will build; one clay soil brick at a time, and one reed grass at a time, until we stand aligned with the stars. And when we’re done, Taung will never be the same again.
May the lord be with us. 🙏🏾 🙏🏾🙏🏾 🖤🖤🖤
I watched the South African Netflix film 180, and I’m honestly confused by it. Forget being authentic to true South African experience or texture. I have given up on authenticity with these films because…I guess we have creative license. But even just on story we are also failing.
I understand the trend of adaptations of international films that worked somewhere else in the world into a South African context. But if we must do that, then we must do it right. Forget that films represent us, our identity, heritage and capabilities in the world. But the biggest danger of not doing it right is that we will alienate audiences. Then it will be very very difficult to get this loyal audience back, to make them believe in South African stories or content.
We owe it to ourselves, our audiences, and especially to our performers who often have to carry the shame of being caricatures of plastic characters. I was heartbroken 💔 😢watching talented actors looking amateurish.
I don’t know if 180 was an adaptation or an original idea. So let me comment purely on what I watched.
So 180 at its core, the film seems to aim for a gritty, emotional story about violence, loss, and consequences. We know a lot about that in South Africa. It is precisely why the execution of such a story should be made right, but instead it is made in such it is difficult for me to stay invested. Having looked at feedback about the film on social media I am not the only one who is not emotionally invested, nor entertained.
Many of the characters’ actions felt unmotivated or underdeveloped, which made key moments confusing rather than impactful. It felt like filmmakers did not know enough about the people or the world they were trying to depict.
For example, what seems an inciting incident scene, a confrontation after a car accident escalates in a way that doesn’t feel believable ultimately leading to a tragic outcome involving the protagonist’s son.
Having said that, I would still encourage all of us to watch this film.
You can read my full take on my facebook page: /share/p/14Xfw9NTcJW/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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Ten years in, I still experience a powerful sense of catharsis when giving a talk about Skulls of My People. This was, spiritually, emotionally, and physically, the most difficult film I have ever made.
And ten years later, I still receive invitations from around the world to speak about it. The privilege of creating meaningful work is that it doesn’t vanish. It’s even more relevant today than when it was made 11years ago.
When we say “Re romilwe,” it is not just talk, we mean it. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
We produced really important work here, especially when world leaders can kidnap leaders of another country and take minerals of that country with impunity. International law is out the window!
@sdumo.mtshali you've been a brave & inspiring company my brother. O ralla merwalela ekete o na le mokoro. Let us do it again in the new year. May God bless and protect you. RESPEKT 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
One evening I drove @kamuhelo_mailula and @mafashiion_sa home. We started discussing script, and this scene was born.
May their talent be blessed and their path guided by light. May every seed of creativity within them grow strong and bear fruit. May all evil and destruction formed against them be stopped before it begins.
May their gifts be nurtured, protected, and used to inspire others. Their journey is divine, may grace walk with them always. ✨🕯️
Looking at the success of The Studio with its 13 Emmy Awards takes me back to when we experimented with a parody of behind-the-scenes commentary in the TV & film industry.
That was seven years ago. A bittersweet memory, because people just hated what we were doing at the time. I can't fully claim we were ahead of the curve because this had been done so many times. But we tried shame. 😄😄😄
Obviously the technical production value is not comparable but our content was equally lit! 🔥🔥🔥
Remember this? @warrenmasemola@motheomodagurudp@sdumo.mtshali pallancedladla @ofentse_rakololo@ikaye.masisi
