Kalushi headlines RapidLion Film Festival

Kalushi is aptly named after the young man’s middle name. The movie was recently shown for the first time to South African audiences at the RapidLion Film Festival on 12 March at the Market Theatre in Newtown, Johannesburg. The South African International Film Festival ran from 12 to 19 March. It showed a variety of films from the Brics nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). The most anticipated of these by local audiences is the life of Solomon Mahlangu, which will only enter mainstream theatres in September this year.

Mandla Dube, the film’s director, started the project about 10 years ago, and after it had been successfully tested on stage audiences as a play, Dube began filming.

The film depicts the harsh realities of apartheid but also the desires of a young man who grows up way too fast due to an incident that changes the trajectory of his whole life.

The viewer is treated to the insights of those who were close to the young freedom fighter including his mother and brother. One can tell that the different scenes were not only shot to tell of the progression of the characters’ lives in a short space of time but also the difference in the story telling of the different people who contributed to the story.

What is different about this latest instalment of apartheid era biopics is the comic relief it offers audiences. Mahlangu’s story is an important one that needs to be told for those who do not know the history behind his death, however, besides his death he was still a young man with friends and family – this is what Dube and his team have captured really well without losing the essence of the story.

Do you know of the story of Solomon Mahlangu? Tell us your views on the importance of this film in the comments section