Life, Above All
2010/ South Africa/ 100 mins/ Dir. Oliver Schmitz
Cast inc: Khomotso Manyaka, Keaobaka Makanyane, Harriet Lenabe
In the dusty small town of Elandsdoorn, a South African township not far from Johannesburg, life is simple and serene. A prevailing sense of pride tightly bonds together the entire community – but beware those who step out of line … When 12 year old Chanda learns of a rumour about her family, it has already spread like wildfire through her small, dust-ridden village near Johannesburg. It destroys her family and forces her mother to flee. Sensing that the gossip stems from prejudice and superstition, Chanda leaves home and school in search of her mother and the truth.
‘Emotionally affecting, beautifully acted’
‘Oliver Schmitz ‘unflinchingly explores life in modern Johannesburg’
‘A very rewarding watch’
‘Well acted (especially by Mariyake), well directed, and honourably focused on a subject we care about and should continue to.’