The Durban International Film Festival
(DIFF), presented by the Centre for Creative (University of KwaZulu-Natal) has
announced Jahmil X T Qubeka’s Knuckle
City as its opening film for its 40th edition.
The film produced and edited by
award-winning Layla Swart of Yellowbone Entertainment, together with Mzansi
Magic, is the acclaimed Qubeka’s much-anticipated fourth feature film.
Dissecting notions of inherited toxic masculinity and the underbelly of the
fighting world, Knuckle City is a
riveting exploration of the psychology of a fighter from the Mdantsane township
known as the boxing mecca of South Africa.
A slice of street life, Knuckle City follows the journey of Dudu
Nyakama, a down and out ageing boxer as he struggles to attain the one fight
that he believes will uplift his fractured family. Contending that the
underbelly of the boxing world is rife with criminality, Dudu unwittingly enlists
the help of his reckless but resourceful, gangster brother who's coming out of
jail. Haunted by the ghost of their father, Dudu soon finds that the fight at
home is far more challenging than any opponent he can possibly face in the
ring.
The film stars Bongile Mantsai as Dudu
Nyakama, Thembekile Komani as Duke Nyakama, and the cast includes, amongst
others, Faniswa Yisa, Patrick Ndlovu, Siv Ngesi, Owen Sejake, Angela Sithole,
Nomhle Nkonyeni and Zolisa Xaluva.
“The film is a gritty and authentic glimpse
into the street life of one of South Africa’s largest and oldest townships
packaged in an entertaining and accessible feature film,” says producer Layla
Swart. “We believe the film is a
tangible manifestation of the evolution of the South African narrative, a slice
of life in a largely undocumented corner of the country. Knuckle City is a much-needed addition to the canon of South
African cinema, where the less-discussed aspects of the residue and
repercussions of our collective national past culminate in the immediate issues
confronting us in the present day.”
“We are very excited to be opening our 40th
edition with this gritty raw film by Jahmil,” says Chipo Zhou, DIFF Festival
Manager. “This is a film which we believe will do very well as a cinema release,
with boxing as the means to tell the story, and its multi-layered narrative
will resonate with audiences globally.”
Qubeka, who grew up in Mdantsane in the
80’s and 90’s says, “It was an experience that has shaped the entirety of my
life. The energy of the landscape and the visceral fight for survival that is
palpable on the streets has inspired in me a deep yearning to chronicle the
lives of its inhabitants through cinema.”
“It is my intention to capture the essence
of life in Mdantsane, and the restless pursuit of being a champion within a
society that often dictates you are a failure. I am determined with this film
to give audiences a glimpse into a world rarely seen, and a deeper
understanding of the multi-faceted individuals inhabiting our land.”
Knuckle
City opens the DIFF on Thursday 18 July, 2019, at
Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre. The director, producer
and lead talent will be in attendance.
For more information go to
ccadiff.ukzn.ac.za/ or follow on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
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