(Khabonina Qubeka
& Aubrey Poo)
Starring Khabonina Qubeka, Khanyi Mbau, Gugu Zulu, Mandisa
Nduna and Aubrey Poo, to name a few, She
is King is a joyous celebration of Zulu culture in a glossy contemporary
setting, and showing off the City of Gold as the Broadway of Africa. It also
features DJ Shimza, flamboyant singer Moonchild and hip-hop star Ifani. The
film opens in cinemas on December 1, 2017, just in time for the holiday season.
Directed by Gersh Kgamedi, She is King tells the story of Khanyisile (Gugu Zulu), a talented
singer, dancer and actor who wants to be a star. She travels from her home in
Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal, to audition for a new musical to be staged at the
Joburg Theatre, based on the life of powerful Zulu Queen Mkabayi ka Jama. She
was a queen who played a major role in Zulu history, deposing various kings and
helping them ascend to the throne; her power and influence were felt during
this time which was of great historical importance to the Zulu nation.
After a couple of detours, Khanyisile lands a role in the
chorus and catches the eye of the best-looking dancer in the show, the charming
Luyanda (Mbuso Kgarebe). Khanyisile quickly has to learn to keep up with her
more seasoned fellow performers, avoid the jealous machinations of the aging
leading lady, and survive the punishing rehearsal schedule to make it to
opening night and shine like the star she is.
“She is King stars
a strong combination of well-known local faces and exciting newcomers,” says
director Gersh. “It tells the aspirational story of a young woman, burning with
talent and ambition, who is prepared to fight hard for her place in the sun.
It’s all stylish Africanism, deeply rooted in the depth and beauty of Zulu
culture, and playing out in a modern day setting that will thrill young
people.”
A showcase for South African music, the film includes songs
by international stars like Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Juluka and Brenda Fassie,
as well as a number of traditional Zulu musicians. The first single – a
reworked version of the Brenda Fassie hit Higher
and Higher, sung by Gugu Zulu and Mandisa Nduna – has dropped. Talented
singer, songwriter and actress Gugu Zulu made it to the Top 16 of Idols SA this year, while rapper Mandisa
Nduna is an award-winning stage, film and television actress who rose to fame
in the film Between Friends, and is
also known to television audiences as Thuli in e.tv’s Hustle.
“We wanted a large ensemble cast that represents a variety
of young Zulu women,” says Gersh. “The film is essentially about a young woman
finding herself within her culture. In addition to Khanyisile we have Bongi
(Sihle Mooi), a fiercely traditional, bubbly young woman; Zethu (Mandisa
Nduna), tattooed and androgynous; and Katherine (Zoe Mthiyane), a cheese-girl
ballerina who is detached from her Zulu background.”
A number of new tracks will be released leading up to the
opening of She is King on December 1.
She is King had
its première on October 26, 2017, at the Joburg Theatre. Packed with
celebrities, the red-carpet event proved to be a hit with music and movie fans
who came out in all their finery for the glitzy evening.
The film was made with the support of the Department of
Trade and Industry (the dti) and the Gauteng Film Commission (GFC), and will be
distributed in South Africa by Indigenous Film Distribution.
View Trailer here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3buLRmGktWY&t=9s
Indigenous Film Distribution: www.indigenousfilm.co.za