Discoveries from South Africa World Cinema

This documentary tells the stories of two lives on the South African East and West coasts connected by a changing ocean.

Hypno the sandman tries to fulfill his nocturnal tasks by putting people to sleep. However, this is hampered by a very determined coder who has to stay awake to meet a deadline. Hypno tries in vain to put the coder to sleep, but just as he wants to give up, he succeeds in an unexpected way.

A record of four years in the life of Miche, a charming, precocious, yet troubled teenage girl growing into womanhood in post-Apartheid South Africa.

The Namibian desert town Oranjemund was until recently run by the Namdeb Diamond Corporation. Only employees were allowed to live there and Namdeb provided housing, free water and electricity. Now that Namdeb is about to close its mines and leave town altogether, the people of Oranjemund are left with uncertainty. Many are planning to depart.

Research / Souvenir (Dialogues), utilizes found Super 8mm footage from Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and audio from ethnographic research gathered among Zimbabwean migrant women in Cape Town, South Africa. Part 1, Research, reveals the personal thoughts and challenges faced by researcher/filmmaker Horn in the field. Part 2, Souvenir (Dialogues), offers the research participants an opportunity to question Horn about his choice of souvenirs from the field, providing the political and economic backdrop to the ongoing exodus of Zimbabweans and leads up to the removal of long standing President Robert Mugabe on November 21, 2017.

After an immigrant woman moves into her aunt’s house, she experiences sexual abuse at the hands of her in-law. She must now make a choice of whether to submit or fight.

For the diver, what she does and what she loves are two separate things. What she does comes at the cost of what she loves. She loves diving. This love demands an uncomfortable amount of self belief, perseverance and emotional investment. Insecure as she is, she does what she loves in isolation. In this way, the diver represents the things we truly love, but rarely get to, because we are so consumed by what we do.

Tired of the city life, the Botha family decides to move to the bush veld. The farm Kom Tot Rus is the ideal place, but then intrigues begin to unfold.

iMbali ka Baba is the story of a teenage girl Mbali from Tugela Mouth, KZN. She longs for what she deems a "perfect family". A father, mother and siblings but is raised by her single mother Anna. Her father lives across the valley with his wife and two kids, his weekly visits to Mbali are not enough. On her birthday, she demands more.

A portrait of family, and a study of migration, assimilation and generational spirit in the most gentle and intimate of terms. Kenyan born Munyiri, partially raised in South Africa and much-travelled since, creates an autobiography-through biography of her late paternal grandmother, Waithira.

The Passing of the Armoured Train - A large group of British soldiers are seen digging entrenchment's under the supervision of officers. A brief second shot shows an armoured train going past. The first film of British troops at the front taken during the war.

A touching, funny documentary on the lives of black lesbians in South Africa through the apartheid era to the present. It covers six women, talking about their African identity (“if you say being gay is not African then you insult me, because you are saying I am not African”), falling in love during the apartheid struggle, contemporary lesbian culture, being successfully out, and more.

'Her Khaltsha' is an inspiring short film documentary about the first ever all-girls cycling group from Khayelitsha in Cape Town, South Africa.

A film crew follows four pantsula dancers from the Delft South rural area outside of Cape Town to learn more about this South African historic dance and its origins.

An out of work actress impersonates her twin sister as the new pastor in a little congregation in Philadelphia. There she meets a writer that helps her navigate her way back to love and life.

Krone 2025 is one of South Africa’s biggest Afrikaans live music events, known for its large-scale production, mass sing‑along atmosphere, and star‑studded lineup of local artists.

The video Sugar & Salt shows a mother and daughter who are licking sugar and salt from each other's tongues. Sugar being licked and consumed off the mother's tongue and salt off the daughter's tongue. The backdrop is of a romanticized ornamental pattern. The scenery acts as a vanishing point for the camera lens, at the same time the pattern creates a border between the two generations.

Spha is a cattle herdsman who discovers he has the ability to connect with the afterlife. Through this supernatural ability, he uncovers a family secret that could change the course of his life.

The silence between us has grown louder than the words we used to share.

Michelle, a hopeless romantic, dreams of a Bollywood-style love. When she meets the dashing Rahul, her dream seems to come true. But she quickly learns that in real life, love is messier and more complicated than the movies make it out to be.

Part of the series Project 10 - Real Stories from a Free South Africa

Verander traces the emotional and political journey of Lourens Jacobs, former head of security for President Nelson Mandela. It explores who Lourens was before South Africa’s democratic transition in 1994 and examines his role during a time of deep political division. After the election, Lourens is tasked with a profound challenge: to protect Mandela – a man labelled a “terrorist” by the former regime. The film delves into the complex, often conflicting truths surrounding his time in office, as well as his adjustment to life after leaving the presidency. At its core, the story follows the evolving relationship between Lourens and his son, Luan – a powerful exploration of loyalty, conflict and eventual reconciliation between two generations.

“When you lose a child, you live in two different worlds, but you don’t exist in either.” On 16 November 2021, Jannie and Ronel du Plessis experienced the unthinkable: the drowning of their 10-month-old baby boy, Jan-Nataniël. Ronel describes her swimming pool as a holy space after the tragedy: the last place her son was alive on earth and where she still feels his presence. It’s her place between Heaven and Earth. The documentary revolves around Ronel, Jannie and the Du Plessis family’s vulnerability and mourning process. It is a sensitive exploration of how different people deal with loss and how one day can irrevocably change a life.

Life has dealt Roger Wilters a few tough blows. Things aren’t going well in his personal life, and the house that was once buzzing with family life is now quiet. In the rough-and-tumble of all-in-wrestling, Roger could lose himself and forget his problems, but now the only wrestling club in Bothaville has closed its doors. Quitting wrestling isn’t an option, he decides. But can he really succeed in becoming a recognised wrestler in a small-town community? Will the town support his wrestling ambitions, or will this remain just a dream?

Dear Sikhonkwane is an intimate portrait of one of the first SiSwati authors, who wrote, cowrote and edited over 40 books. Told through the eyes of someone who deeply admired him, the film is a love letter to his legacy, exploring his passion for his mother tongue.

Stand Up Comedy show with Radio Raps.

Before Blou Klip, and before Screwjob, Mikey was an unhinged man taking names and sending a message.

A father and son run a third-generation barber shop in Idas Valley, exploring their bond and the legacy of family.

Drawing from the legends of the Dia!kwain in the Southern African San language |xam, the film interprets the tale of three crows sent by |xam women to search for their lost husbands, only to learn they’ve been slain by a Dutch commander.

A moving account of a young boy’s life on the mean streets of Cape Town’s ganglands, where he quickly progresses from selling drugs to getting involved in gangsterism, before being shot in the foot and sent to a home for ‘rude children’, where he suffers further trauma and violence.

Three friends: Duncan, Clayton and Martin rent out an abandoned church to film their brand new horror movie screenplay. As the day filming begins, the trio and the actors learn that the church isn't abandoned and something sinister lies within the eerie building... and they want them gone.

The greatest cinematic love story since Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet.

"Engulfed" is a work by Megan-Leigh Heilig, an artist based in Cape Town, South Africa. Her work explores complex questions through film essays and multimedia installations.

In apartment 13, on a first date gone wrong and not sure if her date is dead or alive, Nova calls on her two best friends to help her figure out what to do with his unconscious body. Panic ensues… Meanwhile, in apartment 14, Tannie Ann goes about her morning only to discover that her and her late husband’s prized possession - a Mourning Cloak butterfly of impressive size - dead in her living room. Calm and composed, she goes through the process of preserving its corpse.

Join the Shamwari Private Game Reserve's renowned conservation team, led by pioneering veterinarian Dr. Johan Joubert and senior ecologist Dr. John O’Brien, as they protect and conserve one of Africa's most remarkable wildlife areas. They rehabilitate and rewild newly acquired land, which includes the capturing and relocation of zebras, elephants, buffalo, rhinos and lions. They also implement cutting-edge AI technology to combat rhino poaching. A heartwarming journey culminates as two orphaned elephants are released back into the wild. The team relocate 160 vultures to form part of Africa’s largest vulture conservation project. Witness amazing wildlife sightings along the way as this legendary conservation team fight the odds on a daily basis.

Fear of Hue Centers around a young writer in the later 1800's England, who discovers that he is being haunted by a hostile female Ghost. Henry, who is new to the Area is arranged to marry a Ill estate owner's daughter (Cathrine) before he passes away from his long-term Illness. Henry is now trying to discover what is real and what is fiction. The event that he writes down, seem to be actually happening. Henry is aught after each night by a Ghost who has fallen In love with him, however this ghost is the Sister of his wife. Fear of Hue The Movie is based on the short Story written by Niki Torch which was narrated by Daniel Radcliffe for the short film By Curtis Woodside.

A Piece of Ground unravels the intricate and painful history of land dispossession in South Africa. Through the poignant stories of three individuals living in Cape Town—a city still scarred by centuries of racial discrimination and apartheid policy—the film offers a powerful narrative of resilience and reflection.

Amidst torment and familial turmoil, Zobuhle discovers her passion for dance, finding courage and redemption through an unlikely friendship, leading to a climactic showdown in the school dance finals.

In Marie se laaste dag, written by Lourensa in collaboration with author and theatre maker Mercy Kannemeyer, we meet Marie (Mandri Sutherland), the trusted secretary of the Minister of Mineral Resources, Hendrik van der Merwe (Deon Lotz). On the first day of the newly formed government of national unity (GNU), Marie is tasked to arrange a meeting for her boss with newly appointed Defence Minister, Mayihlome Khumalo (Dumisani Mbebe). Marie is ready to embrace the ideals of the New South Africa, with a helping hand from Thandi (Rozanne McKenzie), Minister Khumalo’s secretary who wears hot-red lipstick.

After receiving her vaccine, a young woman unexpectedly reunites with her ex-boyfriend in the crowded observation room. As they are both forced to wait for the prescribed fifteen minutes, and uncomfortable conversation begins. A chasm exists between the life they thought they wanted together and the present. The awkward situation forces them to confront unresolved issues from their relationship in the most inconvenient and amusing way possible as they navigate the pandemic, their past and possibly their future.

In A Performance on Femininity we are invited in an intimate conversation between two women from different parts of the world. They share their views on what it means being a woman and the burden that come along with it. Bare witness to a conversation with conflicting views on the socially perspective of womanhood. The film is a deconstructed experimental short documentary that creates a personal look into the lives of contemporary women navigating rather ancient existing constructs of womanhood.

Reflections in a broken mirror is a powerful documentary that explores how theatre makers and playwrights have attempted to reshape Afrikaner culture in alignment with the transition to a new South Africa. The film focuses on key theatre productions that challenged the dominant Afrikaner identity, using provocative imagery to reimagine the role and identity of the Afrikaner in democratic South Africa. The plays explore unexamined areas of Afrikaner culture and reveal that there is no homogenous perspective. The key theatre productions explored are TRITS (Mis, Mirakel, Drif) (1992–1994), Donkerland (1996), Drie Susters, Twee (1997), Boklied (1998), Ek, Anna van Wyk (1999), Aars! (2001), Saad (2007), Ons vir Jou (2008), Sakrament (2009), Die kortsondige raklewe van Anastasia W. (2010) and Balbesit (2013).

A journey to the township to find out what it is like for a woman stuck in a man's body and the struggles she faces.

Women journalists in South Africa who expose wrongdoing by those in power are often forced to endure deeply personal, frightening attacks on social media, as the four leading reporters interviewed for this documentary disclose. Investigative reporters for publications that include The Daily Maverick and Die Beeld discuss the impact on them of targeted social media negativity, including direct threats to their safety. As one explains, when influential politicians with millions of followers, such as Julius Malema, malign them on social media and call for action, the danger they face is very real. But Ferial Haffajee, Marianne Thamm, Pauli van Wyk, Caryn Dolley, and others like them continue to write about corruption, crime in high places, and state collusion. What motivates them to keep going is relevant to us all.

Short Documentary on South Africa and Rhodesia

A compilation of moments and vignettes taken over the course of a year; following a journey of transition, reflection, and preserving precious memories.