Laundry
South Africa
|
2026
|
Color
|
105 min
South Africa, 1968. Apartheid governs every aspect of life. In this context of segregation and institutional violence, Khuthala, a young man with extraordinary musical talent, resists accepting the destiny his family has mapped out for him in the laundry business. His world is not in steam or soap, but in jazz, in the promise of a life guided by music. But reality brutally intrudes when the regime intensifies its repression against Black-owned businesses. His father is arrested and brutally beaten, and with that, Khuthala's dream begins to crumble. Desperate to save his father, he is forced to make an impossible decision.
Technical Details
Direction:
Zamo Mkhwanazi
Cinematography:
Gabriel Lobos
Language:
Afrikaans, English and Zulu
Production:
Philippe Coeytaux, Zamo Mkhwanazi, Jim Stark
Sound:
Tracy September
Subtitles:
Spanish and English
Screenplay:
Zamo Mkhwanazi
Editing:
Christine Hoffet
Cast:
Tracy September, Ntobeko Sishi, Zekhethelo Zondi, Siyabonga Shibe, Bukamina Cebekhulu
Director
Zamo Mkhwanazi
Born in the modern city of Durban and raised in the small township of Umlazi, Zamo Mkhwanazi is a South African filmmaker whose background has left a profound mark on her creative vision. Educated at the University of Cape Town, her work is characterized by a lyrical style deeply focused on characters, where she explores the daily lives of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Her directorial debut came in 2011 with the short film Philia, a first foray that already hinted at her narrative sensibility. She later solidified her career with The Call, which premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival and was also presented at the Toronto International Film Festival, expanding her international reach. Laundry is her feature directorial debut.
