FELIX LABAND TALKS TO PETER MACHEN

 

(Right: Felix Laband.. Pic by Dave Southwood)

 

Acclaimed electronic musician and visual artist Felix Laband is the latest creative talent to appear on Talk To Peter, a new podcast from South African arts writer and former Director of the Durban International Film Festival, Peter Machen.

Focusing on the emotional and intellectual processes behind Felix’s music, the in-depth conversation explores the ways in which Felix’s personal life and the ever-changing environment of South Africa have influenced his work. The career-spanning conversation covers a lot of ground, including the difficulties of giving up recreational drugs, a geeky discussion about remixes and covers, and why the music of Bruce Springsteen continues to resonate.

Talking about his latest interview subject, Peter commented: "I first met Felix at South Africa's National Arts Festival when he was a scrappy teenager and I was an aspiring journalist pretending to cover the festival. I remember immediately recognising a deep, punky intelligence in him, and it's that same leftfield genius that courses through his music with a shimmering grace, all these years later."

The interview, along with a showcase of Felix’s work, can be viewed in full at www.talktopeter.com/blog-posts/felix-laband. Felix is currently signed to leading independent German imprint, Compost Records.

 

(Right: Peter Machen)

Peter, who currently lives in Berlin, has been talking to creative people for more than 25 years. His Talk To Peter website and YouTube channel features many of these archives interviews, including with such revered names as Patti Smith, Will Oldham, Arundhati Roy, Baaba Maal, and John Pilger.

Looking towards the future, coming episodes of Talk To Peter include an in-depth conversation with American photographer Roger Ballen and archive interviews with musician Matthew Herbert and REM’s Mike Mills.

For more information about Talk To Peter, contact Peter Machen on peter@talktopeter.com

MY AFRICA DANCE

 

 

(Photograph: Publicity Matters)

 

Ulozolo Youth Organisation presents My Africa Dance - a dance / drama / music production reminding us of the importance of honouring our forefathers in our quest for real freedom and democracy, which will be touring to various schools in six districts throughout July.

Choreographer, Ulozolo Youth Organisation’s Lucky Cele, says: “This is a much-anticipated tour where educational stories of our democracy are celebrated, and where unity and integration depict our true democracy.”

Schools who wish to be part of this amazing experience can contact Lucky Cele directly.

The dancers will visit six district municipalities:

-eThekwini Metro on July 18

- Harry Gwala on July 24

- Ulundi on July 26

-Amajuba on July 28

-Empangeni on July 25

-Ugu District on July 30.

 

Internationally-renowned musical theatre writer, director and choreographer Lucky Cele says: “The production takes us through the life journey of some key struggle hero icons: from their early days; their contribution to the Struggle; how they died and why the country should always remember their legacy. Such stories are told through dialogue, music, and dance to give clarity on how South Africa achieved it democracy.”

“This is something I feel strongly about,” says Cele: “As a generation of young adults, we seem to have forgotten the huge sacrifices our forefathers have made in order for us to be living in a free and fair South Africa: one with a progressive constitution, ample resources, accessible education and many opportunities. We should be living the dream of our ancestors. But we seem to have forgotten what they fought for, and why.

“I want to remind a new generation of what has gone before. Men and women have given their lives for us to have the country of our dreams. Let us honour their stories and be inspired by them.”

Reflecting on some of our struggle heroes and their legacy, is told through a blend of spoken word and dance - a fusion of well-known creatives and emerging artists from around KZN. To make it accessible to a wide an audience as possible, the narration is both in English and in Zulu.

A total of 12 dances tells these amazing stories through contemporary, modern, Zulu, Xhosa, Sophiatown and township dance. The project will also promote acapella music to suit the era. Newly-composed songs will be introduced to the show, and use of struggle songs based on the story will also be used.

A prototype version of this production, called 6/666 was staged at the BAT Centre last December. It is written, directed and choreographed by Lucky Cele and musical director is SA Idols top 10 runner-up, Nkosinathi Shange, produced by Ulozolo Youth Organisation. A youth-led organisation empowering KZN artists with business skills to thrive within the Creative and Cultural Industry.

Schools who wish to be part of this amazing experience can contact Lucky Cele on 0768435499 or email Ulozolo Youth Organisation on ulozoloyouthorganisation@gmail.com

A SCAR NAMED HOME AT NAF: REVIEW

 

(Cleaning up the dusty streets of South Africa... Review by Verne Rowin Munsamy)

This year marks my sweet 16th anniversary at the Grahamstown, now Makhanda, National Arts Festival. I remember being a 2nd year student in 2000, walking around with a notepad and backpack, watching shows all day. Caroline Smart, our editor and chief, took a chance on this eager-beaver young writer and I have never looked back. I started this Festival as a young university second-year student and have progressed to a professional writer-director but the most joy lies in submerging one's self in art, theatre, dance, and the culture of performance shared by like-minded individuals.

I have seen this Festival grow and adapt to remain poignant in these shifting times. NAF has a remarkable ability to nurture talent, challenge societal norms and adapt with the shifting times. My first review this year is for the thought-provoking masterpiece offer by AFDA Johannesburg titled, A Scar Named Home.

The show is directed by one of their lecturers, Manoko Tlhako and her vision and passion to speak about the failing South African Government and institutions is excellently executed by her postgraduate students.

This devised theatre piece, rich in the iconography of physical theatre features, focuses on prevailing systems of failure that are disadvantageous to the South African youth. The story starts with the quartet singing an energetic South African classical township song and the actors playing hide and seek. This game of hide and seek is important as it foreshadows the concept of seeking for liberation that is in hiding and out of reach.

The set has four chairs that are used in a myriad ways to exemplify bags, baskets, hiding places, and in the physicalised choreography. They use bandanas in different ways throughout the show and costumes and props. I am quite fond of a prop that's used in multiple ways and this cast does well with this physical style of theatre.

From the onset we are introduced to the idea of a disappointment in South Africa. We are constantly reminded that home is meant to be a place of safety, comfort, where dreams reside and is also a state of mind; however, our home (South Africa) has become a place of fear filled with corruption and chaos.

The first focus of trauma is highlighted through the ambition and dreams of getting a university education that are stripped away by the withdrawal of NSfAS funding. This is an ongoing plight that affects students across the country.

The second is the fight to find a job and the high levels of unemployed youth in our country. The punch line to this story arrived in the job being obtained, after 180 interviews, through sexual abuse by the company owner. It highlights the abuse faced by individuals who are so desperate to find employment.

The story shifts to mention the high levels of crime in our country due to the lack of opportunities for the youth and the repossession of homes by banks when people failed to keep up with instalments. The last section deals with the corruption in government with regards to social grants.

These four young performers Agisanang Galetuke, Azwi-Hilton Mashapa, Kamagelo Ramaboya and Molatelo Sebabi are extremely powerful in their performances on stage. They displayed the skills of well-rounded artists with triple threats of acting, singing and dance. They reminded me of why I made the 14-hour drive to Makhanda, to watch theatre that was representative of culture, but also questioned and challenged societal "abnormalities". An excellent show to start my 2026 writing journal of the festival. - Dr Verne Rowin Munsamy

 

THE QUIET AT NAF: REVIEW

 

(Haunting Chills and Theatre Frills. Review by Verne Rowin Munsamy)

 

The Settlers Monument in Makhanda is a landmark building that draws travellers from all around the country to the outskirts of Grahamstown. A large square structure that looks like it is hovering like a spaceship over the forestry below it. Within it is housed several theatre spaces, art galleries, and exhibition spaces. It is the heart of the festival. One of the smaller venues, Dicks, is situated on the second floor. Here is where I watched The Quiet, written by my ex-student Thamsanqa Khumalo and Samkelele Sodlala; directed by Thamsanqa Khumalo.

 

I'm always in awe and proud of ex-graduates who enter the industry and continue to make provocative theatre. The Quiet, is written in the style of Horror Theatre, a genre that you don't see too often performed in Durban, not counting musical theatre.

The set is quite deceiving and adds to the mystery of the show. We have hanging books, articles of missing persons on walls, a white cloth covering a chair and another on a table. At first glance, one would easily make the mistake that this was an emotional drama from the aesthetics on stage. This misleading trickery is further carried out by the acting.

The actress in this one-person show, Nolwazi Khanyile, is proficient in the role. I was quite impressed with her control on stage and her understanding of the emotions behind each monologue. The writing reveals two dramatic monologues that serve as tear jerkers that touch the heart-strings of the audience. She narrated the absence of parents in her life, an abandonment that many South Africans are familiar with. She narrated the story of an individual who is forced to put on a smile while emotionally bleeding on the inside. The dramatic monologues are diffused by light-hearted dance numbers that ease the tension that was aptly built by the direction and acting.

The final chapter is where the plot twist kicks in and the Horror genre is revealed. This was foreshadowed in the beginning when the young girl recounts the story of a house that eats people. I remember, as a child, watching a movie where a house on the mountain top would devour strangers as they slept. This theatre piece was a mixture of that movie, with elements of the exorcist. The third and final chapter was chilling and hauntingly beautiful. I loved this plot twist. It was so unexpected. It's not often that I am bamboozled with a storyline but this one I welcomed as I was so engrossed in the show. If I were to add anything, I would add a fourth chapter just to round off the storyline and keep up the suspense and fear, as is evident in all Horror movies of this kind. Well done to the team on an amazing exploration of this genre. - Dr Verne Rowin Munsamy

AUTHENTICA SERIES LAB RETURNS

 

(Photo supplied: The 4th edition's cohort at the 1st in-person workshop left to right Reem Morsi, Gamel Apalayine,  Jolade Olusanya, Mona Ombogo)

 

Application Deadline: Saturday, 1 August 2026.

 

AuthenticA Series Lab returns for fifth year, inviting applications from African screenwriters

The AuthenticA Series Lab, a screenwriters programme from South African-based non-profit Realness Institute, is now open for applications for its 5th edition. This six-month programme is delivered in partnership with The StoryBoard Collective, a Swiss non-profit organisation dedicated to holding space for storytellers from underrepresented communities. Series Mania returns as the programme festival partner, where the writers will pitch their projects to industry decision-makers as part of the African Series Pitch in Lille, France, in March 2027. The Canada Media Fund also returns for a third year as a funding partner, supporting the participation of one African Canadian writer in the programme.

The programme has supported 15 African writers since its inception, with some writers currently in active co-production conversations with companies across the UK, France, Canada and the US. Now entering its milestone fifth year, the AuthenticA Series Lab comes at a time when the industry is particularly volatile and unstable, making this offering even more necessary.

The programme welcomes submissions of original series projects in any genre, from writers living in Africa or the African diaspora, provided the story concept is set in Africa. Four writers will be selected for the programme, which is conducted through a mixture of online and in-person sessions, taking place from September 2026 to April 2027. Selected writers will be mentored by Selina Ukwuoma, Story Consultant and Director of Writing Programmes, and Mehret Mandefro, Creative Producer and Managing Director of the Realness Institute.

Selina Ukwuoma says: “The lab offers writers a rare opportunity to take creative risks. It gives them the confidence to trust their most audacious ideas and shape them into series with real craft, rigour and clarity.”

Mehret Mandefro adds: “Giving writers the time and space to bring their boldest ideas at a time when the industry is so unstable is the best way we know how to meet this moment.”

Experienced industry experts are invited to engage with the cohort as guest speakers, sharing their insights and professional journeys through case studies, offering a range of industry perspectives and practical guidance. Past guest speakers have included Anthony Q. Farrell (Writer/Director/Producer, Canfro Productions), Layla Swart (Producer/Co-Founder, Yellowbone Entertainment), Aoife Lennon-Ritchie (Managing Director of Torchwood Literary & Scouting), Sameer Gardezi (Founder, Break the Room Media) and Pauline Fischer (Founder & CEO, PMF Media Group, Inc.).

For the fifth year the programme opens with in-person sessions in Ethiopia, a first, and then moving through online sessions, which culminates in a two-month residency in Geneva, Switzerland, before the cohort pitches at Series Mania in Lille, France. The outcome of the programme is that each participant will deliver a pitch deck and a pilot script. The rights to the material developed through the programme will remain with each writer.

Laure de Peretti de la Rocca, Director of The StoryBoard Collective, says: “This programme reflects what we believe in: backing bold storytelling from voices the industry hasn't made enough room for. Partnering for this lab, and hosting the AuthenticA writers in Geneva at the StoryBoard House, is how we put that belief into action.”

Francesco Capurro, Series Mania Forum Director, says “AuthenticA’s pitching sessions have become one of the Forum’s most anticipated highlights. International industry professionals continue to show a strong appetite for distinctive voices emerging from African content, and this is due to the outstanding preparation and mentoring work carried out by the teams at the Realness Institute and StoryBoard Collective. I am already looking forward to discovering the 2027 cohort.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to investing in Canadian African diaspora storytellers, the Canada Media Fund will sponsor the participation of one African-Canadian writer in the programme.

Jessica Lea Fleming, Director of Industry Development, CMF, says: “The Canada Media Fund is proud to continue its partnership with the AuthenticA Series Lab and support the participation of an African-Canadian writer for a third consecutive year. Programs like AuthenticA create meaningful opportunities for creators to develop bold, unique stories while building the international relationships that are increasingly essential in today's screen industry. We are pleased to support an initiative that strengthens creative and business connections between Canada and Africa, while helping elevate diverse voices whose stories will resonate with audiences at home and around the world.”

The call for applications is open from Monday, July 6, 2026, closing on Saturday, August 1, 2026.

For more information on eligibility and how to apply, visit https://realnessinstitute.com/2026/07/04/authentica-african-series-lab-call-is-open/ or email submissions@realness.institute

 

 

 

ACT AND TANAKA PICTURES LAUNCH NPO BOOTCAMP VODCAST

 

The Architects of Real Change

 

ACT and Tanaka Pictures launch NPO Bootcamp vodcast for South Africa’s arts and culture non-profit sector

Premiering on YouTube on July 13, 2026, the series shares practical leadership lessons from the people building and sustaining creative sector organisations.

The Arts & Culture Trust (ACT), in partnership with Tanaka Pictures, will launch NPO Bootcamp: Arts & Culture Edition on YouTube on July 13, 2026 under the ACT Centre of Excellence banner.

The vodcast series brings together leaders and practitioners from South Africa’s arts and culture non-profit sector for honest, practical conversations about what it takes to build, lead and sustain organisations working in the creative economy.

Hosted by Nobantu Mqulwana, Managing Director of Tanaka Pictures, the series moves beyond surface-level inspiration to explore the leadership realities, operational challenges and hard-earned lessons behind organisations that are driving change in the sector.

Across South Africa’s arts and culture sector, non-profit organisations play a vital role in creating access, developing talent, supporting communities and expanding participation in the creative economy. Yet much of the practical knowledge needed to build and sustain these organisations is learned through experience, often in isolation. NPO Bootcamp: Arts & Culture Edition responds to this gap by sharing real-world insight from leaders who are actively navigating the work.

The series launches with its first four interviewees, representing the beginning of a broader set of conversations to follow. Featured in the initial release are respected leaders and practitioners from across the arts and non-profit landscape, including Jack Devnarain, actor and Chairperson of the South African Guild of Actors; Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt, Founder and CEO of Chocolate Tribe; Erica Elk, Group CEO of the Craft and Design Institute; and Nathi Simelane, Chief Operating Officer of Artist Proof Studio.

Through these conversations, the series explores governance, funding, partnerships, programme design, compliance, leadership, creative enterprise and long-term organisational resilience. It creates space for the kind of practical sector knowledge that is often difficult to access, especially for emerging organisations and practitioners working to strengthen their impact.

“What makes this series important is that it captures the knowledge that often lives between people, inside organisations, and behind years of experience,” says Jessica Denyschen, Chief Executive Officer of the Arts & Culture Trust.

“Meaningful change does not happen in the abstract. It starts with real people, with real experiences, doing real work, often while carrying enormous responsibility with limited support. NPO Bootcamp: Arts & Culture Edition is about making space for those voices, and for the practical knowledge within the sector, to be shared more openly. If we are serious about sustainability, we need to strengthen how we work together, share knowledge more freely, and recognise that lasting change is built through collective effort.”

Nobantu Mqulwana, Managing Director of Tanaka Pictures, says: “This series is about making the invisible visible. It is about understanding the realities behind the work, and creating access to the kind of information that is often difficult to find. We want emerging organisations to see what is possible, but also to understand what it really takes.”

As the series develops, ACT and Tanaka Pictures hope to build a wider conversation around the realities, challenges and possibilities of sustaining arts and culture organisations in South Africa. Practitioners, partners, funders, supporters and emerging organisations are encouraged to watch the series, share the knowledge and insights, amplify the conversations, and help identify additional voices and organisations that can contribute to future episodes.

ACT and Tanaka Pictures acknowledge the support of the MTN Foundation, which sponsored the venue for the production of the first leg of the series.

NPO Bootcamp: Arts & Culture Edition premieres on YouTube on July 13, 2026. Audiences are encouraged to subscribe to @NPOBOOTCAMP and set a reminder for the premiere.

The vodcast will also be available via the ACT Centre of Excellence website at www.act.org.za/co.

 

Watch, follow and share the series:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@NPOBOOTCAMP

ACT Centre of Excellence: www.act.org.za/coe

Click to set a reminder for its premiere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTM0jSQqQa8

 

About the Arts & Culture Trust

Celebrating 32 years of arts excellence, the Arts & Culture Trust is South Africa’s premier independent arts development and investment organisation. ACT’s primary aim is to increase the capacity for arts and culture initiatives to create sustainable futures through development and investment in innovative projects that make meaningful contributions to society.

Through structured development programmes, ACT supports all expressions of arts and culture including literature, music, visual art, theatre and dance, as well as festivals, community arts initiatives, arts management, education and administration. Over the past 32 years, ACT has supported more than 830 arts, culture and heritage development projects nationwide, including creative small businesses.

 

About Tanaka Pictures

Tanaka Pictures is a multimedia production house focused on creating uplifting, inspiring and actionable content for young South Africans. The company is driven by a vision to make information and solutions more accessible while helping individuals and organisations chart pathways toward meaningful and sustainable futures.

Through NPO Bootcamp, Tanaka Pictures aims to support emerging South African social enterprises and non-profit organisations with practical knowledge, tools and sector insight to help them strengthen and sustain their impact.

 

DEATH OF BARBARA TROFIMCZYK

 

Well-known classical music personality, Barbara Trofimczyk, passed away on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, after a painful battle with a cancerous tumour.

Her history of music is impressive. She worked at the University of Natal (now UKZN), she trained the Durban Boys Choir with Bobby Mills providing assistance. She had a long association with SA Society of Music Teachers and the Durban Chamber Choir. Until fairly recently, she was a dedicated teacher of various individuals.

She was a strong supporter of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and reviewed concerts for the artSMart website in partnership with Professor David Smith.

David Smith remembers her with affection and respect:

He says: “Looking back on my professional association with Barbara, I notice that, rather uncannily, she preceded me in a series of occupations. When I moved to Durban to teach music theory at the University of Natal (now UKZN), I found that she was ‘holding the fort’ in the theory section. Harmonic analysis in particular was her forte and her delight, and she continued to instruct students while I settled in, and well beyond.

“When I took on a boys’ choir at Durban High School, I was keenly aware of her long tenure as director of the Durban Boys’ Choir, in which she was aided by her close friend Bobby Mills. She always spoke of that project with satisfaction. And it was Barbara who encouraged me to take up concert reviewing for the artSMart website, something she had done with her characteristic consistency for an extended period.

Perhaps these sequences are not that surprising, given Barbara’s versatility as a musical thinker and pedagogue. In a sense, she had prepared a way, and I was fortunate enough to walk in her footsteps.”

Barbara’s funeral will take place on Friday, July 10, 2026, at 11h00 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church (corner of Musgrave and St Thomas Roads).

ME & MY BABY GRAND

 

Rhumbelow Durban will host Judith Hawthorn’s Me and My Baby Grand on Sunday, July 19, 2026, at 14h00.

(Venue opens 90 minutes before show for snacks/drinks)

Musical theatre actress Judith Hawthorn presents a new show that highlights her favourite instrument. Blessed with a magnificent Kawai grand piano from her childhood home, she was devastated when it was damaged by an unusually vicious rainstorm in Hilton last November when the roof on her home leaked.

Originally started as a fundraiser to cover repairs, Me & My Baby Grand has become a platform to share her passion for the piano with instrumentals and songs from film, pop, musical theatre, classical and jazz genres as well as piano-centric artists like Freddie Mercury, Mango Groove, Abba, George Gershwin, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more!

Interspersed with light chat about the music, the artists and the piano itself, the show provides an eclectic, inspiring, heartwarming and entertaining afternoon at The Rhumbelow Theatre Durban

Tickets R180 (R160 pensioners under 13). Booking is essential – on email: roland@stansell.co.za or Webtickets

Bring food picnic baskets or buy at the venue. Bar available (no alcohol may be brought on to the premises)

There is limited secure parking available.

For more information contact Cell 0824998636 or visit http://events.durbantheatre.com/

SNAKES ALIVE…. IT’S THE PRINCE OF EGYPT!

 

(Photos Shelley Kjonstad)

Members of the cast of the Young Performers Project spent time at uShaka Marine World while rehearsing for The Prince of Egypt, a sweeping epic of a musical coming to the Playhouse Opera from July 10 – 19.

Moses (Alex van Schalkwyk) and Ramses (Matthew Brown) with a young Egyptian (Elana Francis) are photographed alongside the enormous coiled green snake at Dangerous Creatures, a reptile and creepy-crawly exhibit, one of the uShaka Marine World attractions. uShaka is home to the largest aquarium in the southern hemisphere, allowing visitors to visit the myriad sea creatures living in a close representation of their natural habitat. uShaka also offers adrenaline-pumping attractions, retail and endless fun for the whole family.

The Prince of Egypt, directed by theatrical maestro Roberto Pombo making his YPP debut, takes audiences through the wonders of Ancient Egypt as Ramses and Moses, as two young men raised together as brothers in a kingdom of privilege, find themselves suddenly divided by a secret past. One must rule as Pharaoh, the other must rise up and free his true people; both face a destiny that will change history forever. The cast features 130 scholars from 42 different schools.

They are inspired by famous stories of Moses – God turns his shepherd’s staff into a snake, then back into a staff again; and during the audience with Pharaoh, Aaron's staff turns into a snake and famously devoured the serpents conjured by Egyptian magicians.

 

(Left: Moses (Alex van Schalkwyk) and Ramses (Matthew Brown) with a young Egyptian (Elana Francis)

 Visiting uShaka Marine World and attending YPP’s glorious musical, The Prince of Egypt are two of Durban’s most sought-after July holiday attractions.

 

Prince of Egypt tickets through Webtickets.

uShaka Marine World attractions, rates and times visit the website www.ushakamarineworld.co.za

 

PIANO IN FLOWER

 

Don’t forget to book tickets to see this beautiful show, Piano In Flower with pianist and poet Lara Kirsten.

After debuting this blooming programme at the Fernkloof Botanical Gardens in Hermanus, Lara brings Piano in Flower to the Midlands — a performance inspired by flowers, gardens, butterflies, birds, rain and trees.

The show takes place on July 10, 2026, at 18h00 at Playhouse 5 at The Old Mushroom Farm in the Midlands.

Bookings: WhatsApp 0824139843 or on Quicket: https://qkt.io/pDLjLL

 

GOD'S WORK

 

Award-winning South African feature opens at Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau Rosebank from July 10–16.

Before South African audiences have the opportunity to see God's Work on the big screen, the film has already attracted international acclaim for doing something few films attempt: turning the camera back on itself.

Earlier this year, God's Work won the Radwan El-Kashef Prize for Best Film Addressing an African Issue at the 15th Luxor African Film Festival in Egypt, where it celebrated its Middle East and North Africa premiere.

Named after the acclaimed Egyptian filmmaker Radwan El-Kashef, the award recognises films that engage deeply with African realities through cinematic excellence and artistic vision.

Yet the film's greatest achievement may not lie in what it shows, but in what it asks.

Set among Durban's unhoused communities, God's Work begins as what appears to be a documentary. As the story unfolds, however, the filmmaker himself enters the frame, exposing the uncomfortable power dynamics between those who are seen and those who control the act of seeing. Rather than claiming to speak for marginalised communities, the film interrogates whether that claim is ever truly possible.

Writer and director Michael James says the project emerged from recognising the limits of observation itself. "The camera did not grant access - it revealed distance. I realised I wasn't simply documenting reality; I was constructing it through my own perspective. Rather than hide that tension, I wanted the film to confront it directly."

That bold approach drew particular praise from internationally-respected South African filmmaker Ntshavheni Wa-Luruli, who served on the Luxor jury. He says: "What I appreciate about this film is its fearless commitment to a unique storytelling vision. It does not seek permission from established conventions, nor does it defer to the technical formalism that has too long defined and constrained South African filmmaking."

Wa-Luruli went on to praise the film's pursuit of "an authentic cinematic voice rooted in its own cultural soil" and described it as part of a new generation of South African filmmakers "willing to experiment, to dismantle inherited structures, and to build something new in their place in pursuit of a genuine South African film identity that has long been overdue."

Producer Sithabile Mkhize believes the film's greatest achievement lies in its willingness to examine the act of representation itself. "God's Work doesn't claim to speak on behalf of anyone. Instead, it asks audiences to consider how stories are told, whose perspectives shape them, and what responsibilities come with representing lives marked by inequality. Rather than offering easy conclusions, the film invites viewers into a conversation about visibility, empathy and the ethics of looking."

The film features Thobani Nzuza, Mbulelo Radebe, Omega Mncube, Siya Xaba, Zenzo Msomi and Nduduzo Khowa with cinematography by Jared Hinde and score by award-winning composer, West-African born George Acogny.

The Luxor award forms part of an expanding international festival journey that includes selections at the Joburg Film Festival, the Durban International Film Festival, and the Zanzibar International Film Festival.

JAMES FINDLAY AT RAWDONS HOTEL

 

James Findlay has been a dealer in antiquarian books, antique maps, posters, engravings, and paintings since 1997. He comes across many amazing items in his travels. James is passionate about story telling. Join James as he entertains us with tales about fake books; smuggled books; books banned by the Nats; a con-man cartographer and a poster that was not banned.

Join up for an evening of tales, truths and amazing shared knowledge.

 

Date: Thursday, July 16, 2026.

Time: 18h00 to 22h00

Venue: The Lounge at Rawdons Hotel. Nottingham Road, KwaZulu-Natal

Dinner: 7 PM The main dining hall at Rawdons Hotel.

Price: R350 per person, Includes a Buffet Dinner. (Cash bar available).

 

Book your tickets here: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/383222-fake-news-banned-books-with-antiquarian-bookseller-james-findlay/#/