Top 5 Most Popular South African Movies

There is a growing interest in South Africa as a country and its people.There are many reasons to that effect.One of them is the recent Fifa World Cup where Spain lifted its first cup however other reasons include its history,political landscapes,its sons and daughters who are well-esteemed at international level,its rich natural resources and of course its people who can only be aptly described as a rainbow nation.This hub aims to give a reader some essential knowledge of South African landscapes,political history,humour and sentiment through its movies.The reader will note that most of these movies feature internationally acclaimed Hollywood movies stars.Many reasons can be attributed to these facts, the obvious ones being the fact that the characters needed clout.This is not saying that there are no South African actors and actresses without clout,but the fact that international actors enabled the movies to be easily exported and marketed,besides most of these films were politically motivated and therefore since most artists were exiled international stars were the ones telling stories of many South Africans including political activists like Nelson Mandela,Steve Biko as well as famous student uprisings brilliantly set up in the movie Sarafina.This part I of the film review will be followed by part II which will explore more recent movies in the so called New South Africa or post Apartheid South Africa,where the movies explore new issues on the minds of South Africans.

1. Sarafina

Duration: 1 hr. 38 min.

Genre: Art House & International, Drama, Musical & Performing Arts

Theatrical Release: 1992

Cast: Leleti Khumalo, Whoopi Goldberg, Miriam Makeba, John Kani, Mbongeni Ngema.

Director: Darrel James Roodt, Darrell Roodt
Screenwriter: Mbongeni Ngema

Synopsis: Sarafina the movie is also the name of the main character Sarafina, played by the mesmerizingly beautiful South African actress Leleti Khumalo. Sarafina is a Soweto born student during the peak of apartheid struggling to come to terms with the violent repression of the white apartheid regime constantly raiding townships and schools as well as the absence of her mother eloquently played by the late Miriam Makeba. Her mother works as a maid in the surburbs of Johannesburg and it is during her visits to her mother’s maid’s quarters whose household arrangement and access is typical of apartheid times, that the conditions of her mother’s employment spur her on in her resolve to become a freedom fighter. As a young school girl her dreams of becoming a screen star often find themselves conflictive with her growing frustration and anger living in apartheid South Africa and these two situations find a common ground when she dreams of playing Nelson Mandela himself in a film. The voice of reason and source of some of the most poignant discussions is the Mary the schoolteacher played byWhoopi Goldberg. In one scene she is heard saying: "Like they say, if you want to find a way, you must first know where you're going," All in all, the entire movie is dynamic due to its format of a musical, entertaining and thought-provoking and will leave viewers inspired and hopeful about the future of South Africa.

2. e´Lollipop

Duration: 1 hr. 27 min.

Genre:Drama

Theatrical Release: 1976

Cast:Jose Ferrer, Muntu Ben Louis Ndebele, Norman Knox

Director: Ashley Lazarus

Synopisis: e’Lollipop is a South African film also known as Forever Young, Forever Free. It was a massive box office hit with screenings in more than 40 countries world wide. The film revolves around the friendship of two boys during South Africa's darkest years. It was punted as a `Classic South African Motion Picture' and its story moved the lives of millions at the same time catapulting the lives of the child actors in childhood stardom Untied States, Australia and South Africa. The story of the two boys’ friendship played by Muntu Ndebele as Tshepo or Hope is Sotho and Norman Knox as Jannie begins when Jannie tragically becomes an orphan after his parents are killed in a car crash in the mountains of Lesotho. The two boys quickly strike up a friendship after Jannie is delivered at a missionary station near Tshepo’s village. What comes after are adventures, games, antics that little growing boys get up to together with their dog Sugarball. This stance of escapades in the mountaneous region of South Africa and adventures come to a dead-halt when Jannie gets injured taking part in one of their games. What happens next is a story of community and solidarity as the villagers whose lives were touched by these boys friendship mobilise to get Jannie treatment. The story then translates to New York with amusing consequences. This movie is a tear-jerker but its heart is in the right place and it was visionary for the era of South Africa and the film characters when the movie was shot. This film will soon have a sequel. Check all about this notice here.

3. There is a zulu on my stoep

Duration:100mins

Genre:Comedy

Theatrical Release:1993

Cast: Leon Schuster,John Matshikiza,Wilson Dunster

Director: Gray Hofmeyr

ScreenWriter:Gray Hofmeyr

Synopsis:This film is also known as Yankee Zulu. This South African comedy should not be written off only as a slapstick humour. There is a Zulu on my stoep explores with humour many cultural, political and historical behaviour of Black and White South Africans. The producer of this movie, Leon Schuster is a maverick in this aspect because he questions tendencies and ways of thinking while bringing laughs and chuckles to the surface. Some scenes in the movie will leave the viewer cringing at the stupidity of some characters and apprehensive of some of the antics employed however, this is quickly compensated by bursts of laughter and the final comprehension that this movie seeks to do no harm. The other fun part of this movie is the use of South African colloquial language, so be sure to watch the movie with South African friends or to ask the meanings of some of the terms or expressions like the word stoep used in the title and meaning veranda or porch.

4. The gods must be crazy

Duration:109mins

Genre: Comedy & Action

Theatrical Release: 1981

Cast: Marius Weyers, Sandra Prinsloo, N!xau

Director: Jamie Uys

Writer: Jamie Uys

Synopsis:The livelihood and tranquillity of a Bushmen community living in the Kalahari Desert is interrupted when a Coca Cola bottle falls from the sky. The community believes this to be a gift from the gods. However, their quiet communal life takes a turn for the worst when the find their peaceful existence continually gets maimed by occurrences provoked by the presence of this bottle. This promptly brings the elders to a suprising decision that one of the tribesmen, Xi, takes the bottle to the ends of the earth and rid them of this gift come nuisance. Of course Xi embarks on this trip with amusing incidences and adventures brought about by his encounters with the modern world. This movie is amusing and heartening bringing the viewer close to the Bushmen culture and their way of life which stems tens of thousands of years and teaches us about a minimalist way of life these communities know so well and which is only becoming popular now in the way of sustainability. The viewer will also find curious and funny the language used by the Bushmen which has a lot of X sounds. In fact words and names have such a pronounced phonetic that they have exclamation sounds for instance the cast member Xi played by X!xau.The film is also known as Miracle World:Bushmen.

5. Bopha

Duration: 2h2mins

Genre:Drama

Theatrical Release: 1993

Cast: Danny Glover, Alfre Woodard, Maynard Eziashi, Malcolm McDowell, Marius Weyers

Director: Morgan Freeman

ScreenWriters: Brian Bird and John Wierick, based on the play by Percy Mtwa

Synopisis: Bopha is a film about a black policeman during South African apartheid, played by Danny Glover. He struggles to keep his family together and things don’t get easier for him when his son becomes a political activist. Bopha is a Zulu word which means arrest or detain and this movie is a directorial debut of Morgan Freeman. It is an adaptation of a play of the same name by Percy Mtwa and it explores the indoctrination of honour and loyalty to duty without questions, a role often assumed in military or law-enforcing occupations versus the freedom of self-determination, expression and a democracy ideals which were stripped off now-white South Africans. As time goes on and the political activism gains momentum while the violence between police and protestors escalates, Micah is forced to re-think his priorities and reach within himself to listen to the voice within because the political struggle and fight for freedom has now entered his home incarnated by his own son. This movie has some disturbing and violent scenes so parents are strongly cautioned although it has a PG-13 rating.