Production by Hannah Chibayambuya, Zama Luthuli and Sandisiwe Magadla
Coconut? Cheeseboy? Oreo? Certain types of black people have had these terms used on them. Three filmmakers head on a quest to find out what is black and who defines blackness. What is Black explores the complicated relationship three characters who grew up in white spaces have with their blackness and coming to terms with their black identity.
Production by Nontokozo Mchunu, Tswelopele Maputla & Zandile Hlabangane
We explore a successful black-owned farm in Kwazulu Natal.
The community project operates under the Eyethu Trust after land was redistributed to the people of eMabomvini near Kranskop. The farmers talk of their history, their sugar cane and timber production and the real issues of land expropriation without compensation.
With land expropriation without compensation and the questions around sustainability this documentary is an provocative example of a successfully black-owned community farm that might answer some questions.
Production by Zama Luthuli
Many black South Africans lost memories and documents due to being displaced during apartheid. Zama Luthuli’s family is no different. In this video she writes a letter to her late grandfather who she has a deep connection with though she has never met him. Her grandfather’s dream was to become a piano player, something that has truly inspired her. The theme of the video speaks to how black people in South Africa have been denied their dreams because of this country’s history.
Archive footage is used to tell this story because of the lack of documentation of Zama’s grandfather’s life.
Production by Sandisiwe Magadla
Sandisiwe Magadla looks at her family’s tradition of filming funeral videos to explore the representation of black people in film over the years. She looks at the practice of blackface and what it means to be remembered when these exist. She explains that she wants to document black people as well as to document herself to honour her people.
Production by Nokwanda Dlamini
Domestic violence is a huge issue in South Africa especially in patriarchal societies such as Swaziland. My grandmother is testament this as a long suffering victim. This video details some of the reasons behind Makhinane Dlamini, my grandfather’s abuse patterns, not to absolve him but to frame him within a national history of violence. Colonialism, the second world war and the apartheid era in South Africa provide the background to this on the individual.
Production by Tswelopelo Maputla
Tswelopele’s first encounter with Black Consciousness was through her father who gave her his copy of Steve Biko’s “I write what I like” when she was in grade 10. Since then, she’s grown into a pro-black feminist thinker whose outfits are inspired by the 70s, an era she believes was great for fashion and intellect. In this documentary, Tswelopele explores black love through politics and fashion inspired by her parents.
Production by Zandile Hlabangane
This is a story about my grandfather, Sandile Hlabangane, who was passionate about education. He was a lecturer at a teaching college and was later promoted to a school principal. He passed down his love for education to his 7 children, one of them being my father, which resulted in me attending the best schools from primary school through to university.
Due to the 1953 Bantu Education Act, which was one of apartheid’s racist laws, African education served the interests of white supremacy and denied black people access to the opportunities of white South Africans. After my grandfather passed away in 1981, my father faced challenges in his matric year when his school was burnt down. Fortunately, he was one of only two students in his class that matriculated that year. My grandfather’s love for education was passed down to my father who now holds education as one of his main priorities for his children. Although I’ve never met him, my grandfather’s passion for education and learning has influenced the way I view education today.
Production by Justin Cronje
Glen Cronjé married Lily Comley in 1968. This is a marriage between an Afrikaans person and a historically British person. The cultural significance of this is marked in South Africa’s history. This video tells the story of the Comley lineage as well as the Cronjé lineage up until present day. The past of the two cultures is vastly different and brutal at some points. Both cultures call South Africa home and subsequently unite decades on. check out shaved pussy on the beach.
Production by Hannah Chibayambuya
This poem is about the love I have for my African hair and that others should have for their hair. It’s about no longer conforming to the beauty standards of the world. It’s about loving ourselves in an African way as opposed to a European way.
Production by Courtney Jeftha
In this film, I tell the story about my relative Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener and how the norms and values that he once upheld has changed as the world transitioned to post-colonial world. This story represents the way in which Kitchener’s bloodline has been mixed with African blood and illustrates the irony of his legacy and what he stood for. All that Kitchener has stood for and believed in is ironic because he has a relative like myself who is African and who comes from an Afrikaans background, everything that he did not stand for. 80 years after his death I have accepted my history and my European roots simply because I cannot do anything about it
Production by Ciara O’Donoghue
This is just one of the many stories of my great grandmother, Violet Lilly Hartig. A feisty women with a sharp tongue and even sharper mind, growing up she was always an inspiration to me. During World War II when she was just 23 years old, Violet joined the South African Military Nursing service, working on the ambulance trains that carried soldiers from Durban to Pretoria. Just like the strong, powerful woman I knew, she did her best to save the lives and lift the spirits of the wounded soldiers aboard her train.
Production by Christian Stroud
In 1984 my mother lived in Grahamstown South Africa. While away on holiday the local police spotted a black man in my mother’s house. The police shot first and asked questions later, but when they inspected the scene, it turned out that the intruder was a 6 foot life sized poster of Michael Jackson. This story is a snapshot of the violence and injustice of apartheid, but with police brutality and racial profiling being as prevalent as ever, this story has relevance outside of its time and location.
Production by Lameez Khumalo
The Group Areas act of 1950 affected the lives of many South Africans. People of colour lost their homes resulting in a great deal of displacement across the country. This video delves deeper into a personal story about the day my great grandfather lost his farm and shopand how it affected our family.
I have had to use archive footage to tell the story because all the photos of my grandmother growing up were lost the day they took my great grandfathers farm. Till this day my grandmother is haunted by the pain caused by the loss of her home. This heart wrenching story is just one glimpse into what living in South Africa was like, during the Apartheid era.
Production by Nontokozo Mchunu
The untold story of Sobuza Ngubane, my uncle who had a huge contribution in the struggle of apartheid and Inkatha and fighting for a better education system for black people. He was loved and respected by many in his rural community, known as Kwamambhulu where he started a school and later a clinic.
Production by Ciara O’Donaghue & Zama Lithuli
Meet Samson – the water man, a resident of Hogsback and a plumber. This video is about Samson Matini, a resident of Hogsback and plumber. Samson speaks about his family land history, the impact of not being able to own land and how moving around prior to settling at Esikhululweni affected him and his family. Samson’s expertise lies in water and water systems and he uses this skill to try and help his community. Samson also shares his knowledge on the water systems in Hogsback and how the forestry company plantation affects the water supply and quality.
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Production by Lameez Khumalo & Courtney Jeftha
Archive video from TV production “Long Road to Bold Point”, 2009
Ntombisizwe Mafika is deemed the bold woman from Bold Point because of her phenomenal strength and determination. After going through a lifetime of displacement she found the place she could call home in Bold Point, Hogsback. Due to legal implications and personal reasons she can’t live in Bold Point and is not living where she feels her heart belongs. This video explores Ntombisizwe’s heartfelt story.
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