Sinners is a genre-defying film that follows twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, as they return to their hometown to open a jazz club for their neighbourhood – with terrifyingly unexpected consequences.
Sinners is a supernatural horror epic that will surely leave viewers hooked and inspired
Ryan Coogler makes history by retaining creative control and getting the box office first-dollar gross
The film seamlessly blends music and horror with rich African American culture
Set in the 1930s in Mississippi, the opening night of the club unwittingly summons bloodthirsty vampires, leading to an epic final battle that sees the film take on an unnerving and damning climax. While Sinners incorporates musical and horror elements with American gothic fantasy, director, Ryan Coogler is keen to highlight that the film transcends typical genre boundaries.
By setting the story in the racist deep south of the United States, Coogler creates a narrative that is both chilling and thought-provoking. He flips the white saviour complex on its head through the film’s main vampire and antagonist, Remmick. Smoke is a noble protagonist & Michael B. Jordan did an amazing job playing the twins – with Stack being a terrific and nuanced villain.
The film’s scene stealer is Wunmi Mosaku. Her arresting performance as a hoodoo practitioner and Smoke’s wife, Annie, brings a quiet grace that warms the big screen. The chemistry between Smoke and Annie is palpable and their relationship really anchored the storyline’s emotional pull.
Sinners isn’t just a bold cinematic vision – it also stands as a landmark in filmmaker autonomy. In a rare deal with Warner Bros., Coogler secured first-dollar gross, meaning he earns from the film’s very first ticket sale, a privilege usually reserved for box office royalty. He also retained final cut rights, giving him full creative control over the film’s edit.
Most strikingly, he negotiated a reverse of ownership after 25 years, allowing the film’s rights to revert fully to him-which is nearly unheard of in Hollywood and reflects a growing shift toward creator-led power in studio filmmaking. The film’s cinematographer, Autumn Durald Arkapow, previously worked on Black Panther with Coogler. Coogler says “This cast reminds me of the Panther films, but in a way it’s maybe more exciting in that when audiences watch this…” noting that the cast built a community during filming much like the Black Panther cast.
Sinners is a love letter to the art of filmmaking and music. Collaborating closely with iconic composer Raphael Saadiq, Coogler ensures that the film’s music and score is integral to its storytelling. The fusion of blues and jazz music through Miles Caton’s character, Sammie, serves as a conduit for understanding the complexities of Black religious identity while navigating an artistic calling in music.
Sammie, a cousin of the twins, was the best character and Caton’s complex performance is arguably the strongest. It was heartfelt, relatable and his richly husky singing voice fills the entire cinema. I absolutely loved the immersive cinematography and sound production; it was crisp and spectacular! The awe-inspiring montage showing the different eras and cultures of Black music was an enthralling choice to include. It was beautiful, but felt out of place in the storyline’s progression and it took me out of the movie for a second – which isn’t something I always like when I’m tuning in.
Overall, the film is jarring and nuanced but in a captivating way that will surely inspire dialogue amongst viewers. A definite must-watch for anyone who enjoys a solid & well-written movie.
Vuvu Rating: 9.5/10
FEATURED IMAGE: Sinners Theatrical Poster Release Photo: Supplied/Wikipedia
The multi-award-winning artist continues to prove that he has mastered the art of capturing his listeners’ emotions with his sound.
Since debuting in 2018 with his album “USHUN WENKABI”, Big Zulu’s versatility has made him one of the most complete creators in South Africa’s music industry – and his latest offering is one worth listening to.
Big Zulu’s fifth studio album, ICALA LE MPUMELELO dropped on April 11, 2025, featuring several artists including Shwi Mntombazane, Nkosazana Daughter, Zakwe, Siya Ntuli, Zeh McGeba, Zee Nxumalo, Aymos, Maseven, Emtee, Toss, Sir Trill, Xowla and Zakwe – on songs ranging from hip hop to afro pop.
Big Zulu’s music is the kind that one effortlessly falls in love with. After listening to the album only once, I was captured and able to pick the tracks that stand out the most.
Unlike some artists who make music based on trends, Big Zulu invests in making music that has a message, resulting in longevity of his work because what he sings about is relatable.
In the album’s opening track titled “ICALA LE MPUMELELO” the artist tells a story that many in South Africa relate to – raised by a caring grandmother who worked as a maid to provide food on the table, taught him survival skills, then succeeding against all odds.
“MTHULISE”, “MINA NGEDWA” and “MBALI YAMI” demonstrate the artist’s consistent devotion to love songs. Track 2, MTHULISE, stands out as an emotional and sad song. The artist sings about the challenge of being in a relationship with someone who is an orphan because when they cry, you also cry.
Big Zulu takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster – from sadness to feeling like turning up in a club with friends vibing to “iNkululeko”, a rap track featuring Toss & Sir.
In a song already released in March, “ABAZAZI BAFUNANI” featuring Emtee, Big Zulu appears to have turned their rivalry into a beautiful collaboration.
This is certainly an album worth listening to.
Vuvu Rating 7/10
FEATURED IMAGE: Big Zulu’s album cover. Photo: Big Zulu‘s Instagram
A new musical weekly incentive to get over blue Mondays.
“I love you all and I’ll, see you here next week!” Those were the parting words of Carlo Mombeli, associate professor and the head of Wits University’s Music department. Mombeli’s words were not only an indicator of the intimate feel of the room but also a reflection of his intentions.
Wits Jazz Tuesday’s is a weekly musical showcase put on at theWits theatre lobby by the students and staff of the university’s music department.
Writing this, I felt like a miner who had just discovered gold or a scientist who had just uncovered the inner workings of one of Earth’s many mysteries.
Two audience members performing an item. Photo: Sechaba Molete
The night was ushered in with the cry of the first musician’s trumpet. At that moment, the theatre lobby turned into a terminal with the audience members being passengers eagerly awaiting a journey that transcended space and time.
Words cannot adequately substitute the feeling of physically being present at the feet of a live music ensemble, but in my attempt to use a linguistic medium, I would describe Wits Jazz Tuesdays as a place for community.
The Wits Jazz Tuesday community survives off an ecosystem made of jazz lovers, musicians (instrumentalists and vocalists) and aspiring musicians. Mombeli’s hands-on approach to leading this weekly musical gathering further strengthens its community feel, with him encouraging audience members to showcase any of their musical abilities while he volunteered one of his students to back them up.
The tapping of shoes on the ground, the nodding of heads, the closing of eyes and the occasional yelling of inaudible sounds were all markers of a common understanding and appreciation of the jazz genre.
The programme began with pure jazz and improvisation by specific student bands selected in advance. As the evening progresses and audience members are invited to perform, genres such as indie pop and alternative music become more frequent.
The evening struck the right balance between indulging the tastes of jazz fanatics and virtuosos while catering to the tastes of music lovers in general.
Wits Jazz Tuesday’s was an interactive experience that demanded engagement. Midway through the programme- Mombelli asked everyone to participate in creating the evening’s soundtrack by mumbling in a specific tone. Despite the awkward giggles and concerned comments that followed this request, Mombelli remained committed to democratising jazz and its creation.
This was further reflected in his decision to make the showcase free and invite everyone to join him and his students again next week. It was a fun and heartwarming experience. Its inclusive nature is reassuring and relaxing. The weekly showcase on Tuesday evenings serves as a reward for surviving Mondays!
I would give it a solid 9/10.
FEATURED IMAGE: An image of Wits University’s music students performing a song
Just when you thought season two had reached its peak of drama, season three will have you on the edge of your seat, gasping for more.
Young, African and Famous is a Netflix reality series directed by Wesley Masilo Makgamatha, and follows the glamorous lives of African media personalities from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Namibia and Tanzania to name a few.
Exciting new characters are added to the cast this season, Nollywood actress Ini Edo, entrepreneur, Shakib Lutaaya and South African social media sensation Kefilwe Mabote. Viewers can anticipate drama, luxury, and vulnerable moments throughout the series.
This season of Young, African and Famous brings fresh drama and excitement as Zari and Shakib take centre stage, stealing the spotlight with their highly anticipated wedding.
The wedding was undeniably beautiful and intimate, radiating love and excitement. However, the event was marred by Annie’s comments, which were loud and uncomfortable. She repeatedly pointed out the age gap between the bride and groom, suggesting that Shakib could be Zari’s son’s friend, which I believe felt out of place, especially in front of Zari’s family. Her remarks added tension to the occasion, taking away from the celebration’s joy and highlighting the group’s awkward dynamic.
This season, Annie seem determined to fix the relationships she damaged last season, especially with Zari and Swanky, as she works to rebuild trust within the group. However, I cannot help but feel that Annie’s actions reveal a narcissistic side to her—she never truly takes accountability for her behaviour and seems to lack the self-awareness she claims to have. Her constant attempts to play victim or deflect responsibility only made me more frustrated.
Swanky shares that after the previous season he went to therapy and in this new season of strong personalities and dramatic moments, his composed manner make him a welcome presence.
I find Diamond’s attitude towards women off-putting this season. He believes he can be with any woman at once, treating Fantana poorly and playing games with her feelings. It’s frustrating to watch because it comes across as disrespectful and manipulative. As for Naked DJ and Kayleigh, their relationship had me feeling like the show was scripted. It felt odd that they only had certain serious conversations about commitment when they were with their friends, considering they live together. Those kinds of discussions should have been happening privately, and it made the whole situation feel more staged than real.
Nollywood actress Ini Edo’s arrival infuses the group with new and potent energy because of her strong personality and commanding presence, which open new avenues for developments and conflict.
However, the biggest drama of the season emerges from the fiery clashes between Kefilwe and Zari. Their intense and chaotic interactions become some of the most talked-about moments, which left me eagerly anticipating the next twist in their ongoing feud.
Overall, my takeaway is that while the drama and intense moments keep things interesting, it is the humour and unpredictable dynamics that really make the series entertaining. Despite the conflicts, there is still a lot of growth and real moments that make you want to see what happens next.
Vuvu Rating 8/10
FEATURED IMAGE: An image of the season 3 cast from Instagram by Netflix.
Lobola negotiations are the cornerstone of some South African cultures, and no one grasps this better than Ace Ngubeni, the ultimate lobola negotiator.
Directed by Thabang Moleya, Lobola Man is a brilliantly executed romantic com that stands out with its unique concept. It centres on a character who turns the uncommon role of a Lobola negotiator into a full-fledged career. While being a lobola negotiator is typically a one-time or occasional event in real life, the film creatively imagines it as a recurring career, presenting this imaginative twist with a fun and light-hearted approach.
Given the predictability of the plot, the film still manages to captivate you with its sharp humour and wit. It skilfully embraces classic rom com tropes, like the notorious player finally meeting “the one” and the familiar enemies-to-lovers arc.
This film thoughtfully displays cultural diversity through authentic attire, accurately reflecting each culture’s unique identity. Ngubeni’s sharp intellect shines as he steps into a family home as a “fake” relative, quickly reading the room and using his keen observations to gain valuable insights into the family’s dynamics and strategizes the best way to win them over.
The film’s cinematography perfectly complements the genre, utilizing bright lighting that enhances the vivid, colourful clothing. The soundtrack, featuring lively South African classics like “Faki Mali” by Tumza D’Kota, further energises the narrative. The deliberate use of colour and lighting not only amplifies the atmosphere but captures the essence of city life and young adulthood.
Duke Maseko, portrayed by 31-year-old actor Sandile Mahlangu, is one of the Lobola Man’s more amusing clients. The dynamic between Ngubeni and Maseko adds a layer of humour to the film, as Maseko, unimpressed by his own family, enlists Ngubeni’s help to secure his marriage. Their playful, offbeat relationship brings a fun energy to the story, making their interactions a highlight to the film.
Overall, Lobola Man is a refreshing and entertaining watch. Its vibrant cinematography and engaging performances make it a standard rom com that offers both laughs and heart.
Whether you are familiar with Lobola negotiations or new to the concept, this film delivers with a fun, light-hearted experience that is well worth your time.
Vuvu Rating: 9/10.
FEATURED IMAGE:Netflix SA Lobola Man Meme by Netflix SA on Instagram.
If you think the return of Wolverine in this movie cheapens his well-earned death in Logan, then welcome to comics – nothing is sacred or permanent, not even death.
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Vuvu Rating: 7/10
The Merc with a Mouth’s third instalment is both a love letter to Fox’s X-men franchise and an obituary to the now Disney-owned 20th Century Studios.
Centered around Deadpool attempting to save his timeline from being annihilated, the film gives us an honest, if slightly underdeveloped, look at Ryan Reynold’s’ Deadpool’s view of himself. Someone destined for greatness but unable to reach it without the help of someone he views as greater than himself. Most portrayals of Deadpool often forget the core aspects of the character. The insecurity he masks with humour, and bravado he employs to cover the pain.
Irreverent to an almost masturbatory extent, the film starts right where 2017’s Logan concluded. In classic Deadpool fashion, he speaks directly to the audience while using Wolverine’s decomposed skeleton to decimate oncoming TVA agents to the tune of NSYNC’s BYE BYE BYE. Taking the multiverse shenanigans of post-endgame MCU to the extreme, Deadpool & Wolverine manages to reinvigorate Marvel’s fourth-phase slump, while packing the entire movie with enough fan service to make even the most casual fan salivate.
In 2019, Disney acquired Twentieth Century Fox for a whopping $71 billion and immediately renamed it to 20th Century Studios. This marked the final nail in the coffin for what was once a legendary studio, home to more iconic franchises than Deadpool has Disney-friendly euphemisms for cocaine. Allegedly, the prospect of adding the X-Men to its billion-dollar Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was the main motivation for the purchase. However, it left an important question unanswered: how will Fox’s favourite mutants wrap-up their convoluted (and occasionally disastrous) story?
The film gives Marvel a clean slate to work from, but more than that, helps us wash the salty taste of 2019’s Dark Phoenix from our mouths. With the titular characters travelling to “The Void”, a location for discarded characters accurately described as “a little Mad Max-y”, hilarious dialogue carries us from one gratuitous action scene to the next. Unfortunately, the plot and character work to take a back seat to Director Shawn Levy’s insistence on ever present winks to the audience.
The movie does more than laugh at the decline of Fox (who infamously butchered Deadpool’s first appearance), instead choosing to arrange a worldwide chorus of audience members to roar directly in their face. With a $400 million global box office, it is safe to say it managed to arrange a two-hour contemporary dance on Fox’s grave. But nonetheless, Reynolds’ love of the character can be felt in every drop of blood on-screen.
Deadpool & Wolverine wraps itself up with a montage of bloopers and clips from some of the most iconic scenes in the 22-year history of Fox’s X-men. The movie goes to great lengths to give every character stuck under the Fox umbrella a conclusion worthy of their influence. The modern reincarnations of the characters are given as much respect and presence as their original versions.
With some actors having portrayed these characters for the better part of two decades, Deadpool put a heart-shaped bullet hole into some of my all-time favourite characters. With the intricate web woven ever larger with each MCU release, this movie is a direct lesson. A character may actively desecrate everything you hold dear as a fan. And all you can do is enjoy the ride.
FEATURED IMAGE: Deadpool & Wolverine promotional poster. Photo: Disney
Curtains down for the Joburg Ballet Company’s SCARCITY, a quartet of ballets which explored pressing social issues.
Comprising of four individual ballets that came together as one body of work, Joburg Ballet’s recent season at the Joburg Theatre from March 15-24 responded artistically to the issues of social, political, and environmental scarcity in South Africa.
Four choreographers were involved in the production of SCARCITY. Joburg Ballet’s CEO, Elroy Fillis-Bell, said the quartet aimed to portray the idea of scarcity from an “array of emotional responses in a range of storytelling styles”.
Ballet is a universal artistic form open to individual interpretation, and this is where its strength lies. Neo Moloi, a member of the ‘corps de ballet’, the group of dancers often assisting soloists or principal dancers, likened each of the four ballets to a puzzle piece, and when put together, created a beautiful body of art.
Dancers Bruno Miranda, Tammy Higgins, Chloe Blair and Alice le Roux during a pre-performance class. Photo: Victoria Hill
Ukukhanya Kwenyanga: A Moonlight Waltz, meaning “moonlight” in isiXhosa and isiZulu, by South African Craig Pedro was created to “attract our people [and] show them that classical ballet can have an African name, and that classical ballet can be danced in African attire”. It represented how our nation, when faced with many social issues, “continues to make something out of nothing and dance in the moonlight,” he said.
Jorgé Pérez Martínez created Azul, a ballet that used movement to personify the feelings of being alive and spirited. Dancers described this work as representing inner peace and grace, capturing fluidity and musicality.
This was starkly contrasted by Hannah Ma’s The Void which symbolised the vastness of human souls and highlighting the beauty of human existence and value of life. This evoked raw emotions from audience members, with audible gasps being heard throughout the entire performance, me included.
Salomé by South African Dada Masilo interrogated the kind of desire, power, and passion that destructs. It spoke to the universal issues of lust and greed. The movement in this piece was fast, intricate, and awkward, telling the story of how scarcity of resources in one’s life can lead to a very vulnerable state of living and being.
Dancers Luhle Mtati and Miguel Franco-Green during a centre exercise in class. Photo: Victoria Hill
Josie Ridgeway assisting Savannah Jacobson with her hair in the dressing room before the performance. Photo: Victoria Hill
Fillis-Bell said this is one of the first instances where ballet has been used to communicate in the form of a social movement in post-Apartheid South Africa. Interrogating the discovery and/or loss of one’s identity was at the core of this performance, eliciting transformative thoughts and reactions from all who watched he added.
Tumelo Lekana, a member of Joburg Ballet’s ‘coryphée’, the leading dancers of the ensemble, described ballet as an “edutainment”, where stories told in this classical art-form depict South African contexts and lived experiences.
I have always been a lover of ballet, and being a dancer myself, I have an appreciation for it that will never cease to be. My favourite choreography from the show was hard to choose, but The Void spoke to me on a personal level. The way loss was portrayed on the stage left behind philosophical meanings that life is worth living, even when you think there is no point in struggle and strife. It left me with a sense of hope, and I wish I could play the performance on repeat in my mind’s eye.
SCARCITY showed audiences the variety of emotions that are simultaneously living in many hearts. Joburg Ballet brought these feelings and people together to reflect in the light casted by the social awareness left behind on stage.
Vuvu rating: 8/10
FEATURED IMAGE: Pointe shoes lined up in a principal dancers dressing room ahead of a performance. Photo: Victoria Hill
‘Barbie’ dominates the box office, with millions of tickets sold in its first weekend of release
In a whimsical fantasy comedy film, Barbie’s, writer-director Greta Gerwig humanises the infamous doll by critiquing the unrealistic beauty standards it represented for many young girls around the world.
With the rise of the feminism movement in the 2000s, Mattel Barbie doll’s popularity waned as consumers did not like what the doll stood for: sexism, negative body image, and its lack of diversity.
Bearing these debates in mind, Gerwig’s movie takes a different route, in the film, she takes us through the journey of Barbie, played by actress, Margot Robbie, whose perfect world is tainted after she repeatedly has thoughts about death.
To fix this, she is advised to travel to the real, to meet her owner, who might be the one struggling mentally. She is accompanied by fellow doll Ken, who discovers patriarchy and seeks to implement it in Barbieland.
One particularly pleasing aspect about of the film is how it was able to showcase that women in the real world are still being reduced to their beauty and body; while in Barbieland, they are seen as people, who are celebrated for their intellects
Matriarchy and patriarchy are both put to the test in the film. However, although the film tries to send across a message of women empowerment, it makes it seem as though a world run by women would disregard the role that men play in society. This is in contrast with what feminism stands for, and that is equality for all genders.
In its first weekend of release, the movie made $162 million in North America, while cinemas in Sandton, Montecasino and Clearwater Mall in Roodeproot were filled with eager fans.
Whether you love or hate the seemingly perfect doll, are male or female – we all have something to learn from her. Be it doing some self-introspection or unlearning patriarchal mindsets.
The Barbie movie premiered in cinemas on Friday, July 21, 2023.
Vuvu rating: 8 out of 10
FEATURED IMAGE: Barbie movie poster starring Margot Robbie who plays ‘Barbie’. Photo: www.barbie-themovie.com
The life of Reeva Steenkamp unpacked through intimate testimonials from those closest to her.
My Name Is Reeva is a documentary series about model, Reeva Steenkamp, who was murdered by her then boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius on February 14, 2013, Valentine’s Day of that year.
The documentary looks into the model’s life before and after the murder, through the eyes of her parents, Barry and June Steenkamp. The three-part series first aired on August 25, 2022, on Mnet, and was then later made available on DSTV CatchUP and streaming site, Showmax. The documentary was written by Justin Strydom, produced by David Taylor and directed by Warren Batchelor.
The first episode introduces us to a sad, nostalgic when viewers first meet Steenkamp’s parents, Barry and June Steenkamp. Suspense builds as the pair are introduced to the concept of the victim-offender dialogue, a process where the victim of a crime or surviving family members and the offender of the crime in this case, Pistorius, have an in-person meeting. The hope is that through hearing the perpetrator’s side of the story, the victim or their loved ones may possibly get closure.
The pain is evident in Steenkamp’s eyes even ten years on, to them their daughter’s death is still a fresh and raw wound. Conversations with their lawyer Tania Koen bring back the memory of the night they lost their beloved daughter.
The re-enactment of the scenes of the fateful night when Steenkamp lost her life ground much of the documentary. The excellently cast actors in the re-enacted scenes help provide a glimpse into the possible chain of events that unfolded on that fateful night, according to Calvin Mollett’s (co-author of the book Oscar vs the Truth) running theory.
In the second episode, the documentary turns to factual evidence through crime scene photographs and videos taken by the investigating officer. Other evidence from the scene which is analysed included blood stains, bullet holes on the bathroom door and the damaged furniture.
Verbal testimony from the trial is also dramatised. Pistorius’ neighbours testified that they heard raised voices and a woman’s scream. A chilling reenactment is used to illustrate that testimony in the documentary.
One shocking revelation made in the documentary comes from a painting of a man standing with a gun in hand, and a woman on the stairs going to heaven with wings. Reeva made the painting when she was just 14. Mrs Steenkamp said she thinks her daughter unconsciously knew about her death before it happened, that the painting was a prophecy.
In episode three we get to hear about Oscar’s character through interviews with Reeva’s best friend, Gina Myers, who said Pistorius “…is aggressive and irresponsible with his gun and how he was obsessive towards Reeva.”
The documentary also highlights hidden and tampered evidence, that was not presented in court. Apparently, Pistorius’s brother Carl Pistorius deleted the contents on Pistorius’s cellphone, which included phone calls and messages sent on the night of the murder.
My Name Is Reeva helped to get a sense of who Reeva was, her life journey and how her murder has had a lasting negative impact on her parents. The documentary is a deep dive into gender-based violence and its many manifestations.
Vuvu rating: 8/10
FEATURED IMAGE: My Name Is Reeva Cover. Photo: Keshet International/Supplied
In a compelling Netflix documentary, sexual assault victims face the heartbreaking reality of police accusing and arresting them for ‘false reporting’.
The Netflix Originals documentary, Victims/Suspect follows the journey of journalist Rae de Leon from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Through her investigation, she uncovers a shocking revelation, exposing how sexual assault victims were subjected to intimidation by police during lengthy depositions, ultimately pressuring them into recanting their statements.
The documentary directed and produced by Nancy Schwartzman, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023, and was released on Netflix on May 23.
Schwartzman’s previous work includes, Roll Red Roll, which dealt with the permissive “bro culture” around the rape cases which took place in 2012 in Steubenville, Ohio.
In Victim/Suspect she was able to craft an enthralling and provocative investigative documentary by tracking De Leon’s investigation and exposing how policing across the US can allow law enforcement to transform sexual assault survivors into criminal suspects.
De Leon utilised police interrogation footage, victim testimonies and interviews with legal experts to gain insight into where the potential flaws within the police system lie.
Beginning with piecing together the victims’ stories of assault, De Leon then compared them with the police’s handling of their cases before they subsequently closed the cases by arresting the victims.
By scrutinising the work of the police De Leon uncovered a recurring pattern, noting that when law enforcement officers had a form of scepticism towards possible sexual assault victims, they would resort to employing suspect interrogation tactics against them. These interrogation tactics included subjecting the accuser to hours of prolonged interrogation and repeatedly asking them questions until they reached the point of just wanting to exit the room. Additionally, police officers would lie to the victims claiming to possess surveillance footage of the location where the incident allegedly occurred.
It seems that the officers’ modus operandi had very little to do with justice and more focused on bringing the victims to a point of submission and having power over them. The reasons could range from police officers trying to protect a prominent local figure to them undermining the women’s recounting of their attacks to shorten the investigative time.
Although this aggressive approach was used on the victims, the alleged attackers were barely interviewed, if at all.
While the documentary is compelling and showcases excellent journalism, it is regrettably presented in a manner that is distracting and challenging to follow. The film is loosely centred around the journalist who had been working on exposing the flaws in the way sexual assault victims and cases were handled by the police for years, but the inclusion of documented evidence at random points in the timeline can cause some confusion.
The voiceover switches between past and present tense regarding the creation of the journalist’s article, yet there are no visual cues to assist viewers in navigating this continuous shifting. Not only did this create an unnecessarily complicated viewing experience, but the jumbled flow of events also took away from the impact some of the footage could have had on the viewer.
At times, the documentary also seems too much like a profile of a fired-up go-getter journalist. Although De Leon’s actions were admirable, placing so much focus on her could arguably have taken the spotlight from some of the victims’ interviews and the footage used as evidence throughout the documentary.
Overall, the documentary is a good and necessary watch. As a student journalist, the documentary taught me the significance of setting aside personal fears to advocate for those who cannot speak up for themselves. One aspect that resonated with me deeply was when De Leon mentioned her own apprehension when confronting individuals by knocking on their doors. However, she recognises that she serves as the voice for those who may be voiceless, and this realisation empowers her to overcome her fears and pursue her mission.
The biggest flaw in the documentary may be the lack of access to the police officers in question as they declined to participate in the film. This leaves the viewer feeling a lack of closure and somewhat enraged knowing that none of the officers were held accountable.
Vuvu rating: 7/10
FEATURED IMAGE: Victim/Suspect, a Netflix Originals documentary. Photo: IMBD
The ensemble put together by producer and trumpeter Mandla Mlangeni took the Great Hall audience through the stages of grieving the failed dream of freedom.
The Amandla Freedom Ensemble led by the Standard Bank young artist for jazz 2019, Mandla Mlangeni, launched their interdisciplinary album Oratorio of a forgotten youth at the Wits Great Hall on Saturday, May 27.
Mlangeni told IOL that the album was the culmination of a production that started in 2019, that sought to tell the story of how far South Africa had come in confronting its past.
The production brought together a collaboration of musical ensembles, with their own distinct sounds, laced with provocative spoken word poetry and a visual artist who used sand to draw intricate images with his hands, live, to the sound of the music. The images changed throughout the production but the most memorable were clenched fists and trees that had African faces instead of leaves. The visual artist, Tawanda MuAfrika also created the album art.
The empty stage was set up as though for a multi-piece orchestra with what initially seemed like too many moving parts. And when the artists walked onto the stage, it was difficult to know where to focus one’s attention. To the right, poet Lesego Rampolokeng sat at a desk with his anthology in front of him, a string quartet and a nine-piece choir behind him.
Jazz pianist Yonela Mnana set up with afro-jazz group A Brother Moves On and visual artist MuAfrika on either side of him. MuAfrika’s sand art was being projected on a screen at the back of the stage. Right at the front was the Amandla Freedom Ensemble with Mandla Mlangeni poised like a conductor with his back to the audience.
Producer Mandla Mlangeni leads a large musical production, fusing poetry, jazz, choral and orchestral music. Photo: Morongoa Masebe
The Great Hall was half full with a mix of students and non-students, with the audience appearing as if they were in the creative industry by the colourful ways that they were dressed.
Katleho Hubi, a third-year bachelor of fine arts student who attended the show, said that she was deeply moved by what felt to her like “a spiritual experience”. She said that the production had inspired her to want to explore the relationship between music and visual art in her own work.
Mlangeni’s production took the audience from mourning to celebration by blending a bit of afro-jazz, afro-beat, classical, poetry and chorus like a true oratorio, which is a large-scale musical production that blends orchestral, voice and choral music.
The first piece of the night, the gathering, started with Rampolokeng loudly reciting spoken word poetry that sounded like a lamentation over a broken promise. The slow introduction of the bass and a soft djembe drum began to drown out the poet and brought in the hum of the choir. The saxophonists led the trumpet in, and then everything went quiet, leaving Mlangeni in a trumpet solo.
The choir was reminiscent of an African indigenous church, with the use of music as a medium for connecting with spirit. They took the lead on ubaba, a song about the search for a missing father. The entire ensemble joined into a melancholic sound of a prayer that for a moment seemed to be a petition that was no longer to an absent earthly father, but to a heavenly father, who seemed to be absent and blind to the pain of African people.
The arrangement came together beautifully. Led by the protest poetry of Rampolokeng, the production carried the same impassioned energy that can turn a church service into a site of protest.
The afrobeat sound of inkululeko brought Siyabonga Mthembu of The Brother Moves On onto the stage to lead in the demand for the freedom that democracy had promised.
The drummer played the consistent sound of a marching band in #movement/soldier’s lament and Rampolokeng came back to remind us that “our hopes are buried alive”, when those who were at the forefront of fighting for freedom, turned to gatekeepers of the wealth that should have been shared amongst all.
In darkness, all the different pieces of the ensemble seemed to do their own thing, like loud mourning at a wake deep into the night, all crying separately, over the same loss. Rampolokeng also cried in his own way, about the disillusionment of protests that yield nothing in the long term, even after lives had been lost. He juxtaposed the 1976 uprisings with the 2015 #FeesMustFall protests and expressed sorrow over the lack of change.
Crying turned to celebration when the show closed with woza, which got the audience to its feet to dance and rang in my head long after the show had ended. The high tempo and vibrant piece goes “Woza mama, woza” but the audience recast it as “Woza Mandla, woza” as it sang along all the way out of the Great Hall.
Vuvu rating: 9/10
FEATURED IMAGE: Trumpeter Mandla Mlangeni leads a multi-disciplinary musical production at the Wits Great Hall. Photo: Morongoa Masebe
Loyiso Mkhize’s comic book Kwezi has been adapted into a play – with a stellar cast
The Adventures of Super Smanjie sheds light on how rampant corruption can cripple a country’s economic prospects.
The comedic play is an adaptation of Loyiso Mkhize’s comic book Kwezi, which was done by the Market Theatre Laboratory’s graduates.
The show takes viewers through the life of a shero called Smanjie (played by Mathuto Mahlangu) who is gifted with superpowers at birth by her ancestors — but ends up misusing them to gain popularity on social media.
She is told by her ancestors in a dream that she needs to save the city of Marapong from Muḓagasi, meaning electricity in Tshivenda. Muḓagasi is the city’s villain who has been stealing electricity cables to make himself stronger. To defeat him, she must first overcome her desire to use her powers to gain followers on social media for social approval.
The production was composed and performed by Market Laboratory graduates: Rofhiwa Mundalamo, Mathuto Mahlangu, Slindokuhle Shabangu, Jack Moloi who is currently doing his postgraduate diploma in dramatic arts at Wits, and Wits fourth year theatre and performance student Zilungile Mbombo — whose illustrious performances provided a convincing mockery of the state of our country.
The comedy’s simple set with just a chalk drawing backdrop of the city and and actors wearing plain colored t-shirts with leggings and sweatpants forced the viewer to focus entirely on the rawness of acting presented by the team.
I was captivated by their exaggerated and mimetic use of body language to tell the story.
Smanjie’s ancestors gifting her her powers at birth. Photo: Nonhlanhla Mathebula.
However, all the actors played more than one role in the play, which made it a bit difficult to follow on the development of each character. There was also not enough time in the play to memorise who played which roles exactly. Super Smanjie is the only exception, as she only played two roles.
Although the play needs a certain level of familiarity with the South African social media landscape to understand some of the jokes, one can expect some serious comic relief that lightens up the mood on some of the issues affecting the country.
Moloi told Wits Vuvuzela that it was hard producing the play themselves due to their busy schedules. However, the practical experience they received at Market Laboratory equipped them with valuable skills to finish the play.
The show ran at Emakhaya Theatre on the 19th floor of Wits’ University Corner from May 26 to May 28, 2023.
FEATURED IMAGE: The cast of The Adventures of Super Smanjie during their curtain call. Photo: Nonhlanhla Mathebula.
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