Life, Above All
South Africa
|
2010
|
Color
|
105 min
This directory compiles the glossaries from all editions of Cines del Sur: eleven already held and the twelfth currently underway. It serves as a living memory of the festival, its films, guests, sections, and spaces for reflection on the cinemas of Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Arab world. Here you can trace the evolution of its programming, rediscover filmmakers, and follow the thematic threads that have defined Cines del Sur's identity as a meeting point for cultures, perspectives, and ways of understanding cinema from the Global South.
In the small village of Elandsdoorn, a township not far from Johannesburg, life is simple and peaceful. A deep sense of pride unites all its inhabitants. However, this apparent tranquility is denied to those who deviate from the norm. Chandra, a promising twelve-year-old student, watches her family fall apart after the death of her newborn sister. Her mother, Lillian, falls gravely ill, and her stepfather takes refuge in alcohol, leaving Chandra to care for her two younger siblings. Meanwhile, a rumor begins to spread in the neighborhood, eventually leading to Lillian's flight. Helpless and with the strong conviction that her community's irrational and poisoned behavior is linked to her mother's illness and her sister's death, Chandra sets out in search of Lillian and the truth.
Technical Details
Direction:
Oliver Schmitz
Cinematography:
Bernhard Jasper
Music:
Ali N. Askin
Language:
Sepedi
Production:
Oliver Stoltz, Greig Buckle, Thomas Reisser, Dan Schlanger
Art Direction:
Christiane Rothe
Sound:
Ivan Millborrow
Subtitles:
English and Spanish
Screenplay:
Dennis Foon
Editing:
Dirk Grau
Cast:
Khomotso Manyaka (Chanda), Lerato Mvelase (Lillian), Harriet Manamela (Mrs. Tafa), Keaobaka Makanyane (Esther), Aubrey Poolo (Jonah), Thato Kgaladi (Soly), Mapaseka Mathebe (Iris)
Director
Oliver Schmitz
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1960. He graduated from the Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town. He shot his first feature film, Mapantsula, without local government authorization: a gangster drama set in the Soweto township. The film was awarded the AA Vita Awards for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Editing. In 2000, he shot his second film, Hi-jack Stories. That same year, he moved to Germany, where his name quickly became known as a successful television director. In 2005, Oliver Schmitz directed, alongside other directors such as the Coen brothers, Gus Van Sant, and Alexander Payne, the feature film Paris, je t’aime, which premiered worldwide in Cannes. His latest film, Life, Above All, is based on Allan Stratton's award-winning novel Chanda's Secrets.
