Local producer addresses sexual grooming in debut film

The message in Daveyton-born producer and director Nakesa Ndou’s debut film, Imbokodo (Rock), is woven into the eyes, voice and facial expressions of the lead actor Mbokodo, played by Sinethemba Dianibe from Cloverdene, as she narrates how her innocence was taken from her.

In this film, Nakesa addresses a subject hidden in plain sight – sexual grooming and violence against children.
The film was officially screened at Wordsworth High School, Nakesa’s alma mater, on March 8.

There are plans afoot for a tour of various high schools in three provinces.

“Mbokodo comes from the phrase ‘you strike a woman, you strike a rock’, which symbolises power and strength,” Nakesa said.

She explained they want to draw attention to sexual violence against children and also the secret proclivities beneath the layers of society.

Emotional and thought-provoking, in the film eight-year-old Mbokodo uses rocks to narrate the story of how she was sexually violated.

This is derived from ukuqoqisa, a township past-time activity where girls use rocks to narrate stories to their friends, Nakesa said.

The rocks are a correlation to the notion that women are imbokodo (rocks) – strong and unbreakable.

The film opens with Mbokodo explaining what an imbokodo is and then shows a rock lying on the ground, which is a symbol of strength and power.

Then the rock is shown shattered into pieces, symbolising that women, despite their might and strength, are vulnerable.

In somberness, Mbokodo then says girls were being violated because society views them as imbokodo or objects that can’t be wounded or broken.

“We wanted to know what it meant to put the word imbokodo in front of an image of an eight-year-old child. What are we insinuating? Are we saying the child is an imbokodo and that she has to embody the characteristics of what the word means?

“We don’t look at her as this innocent eight-year-old anymore. She now becomes a powerful eight-year-old. We are giving her a cape of power and not a vulnerability,” Nakesa said.

Background

Born and bred in Daveyton, Nakesa studied at Wordsworth High, then went to the University of the Witwatersrand where she studied for a BA in dramatic arts.

She worked for Active Education, then did an internship at Free Women Films where she went knee-deep into the craft, learning producing and directing and eventually falling in love with both disciplines.

She said growing up in Daveyton influenced her to study drama and that she draws inspiration from her experiences in the township.

“I think it’s important as a director to put yourself or story inside of your work to make it relatable and realistic for people to connect with it.”

They will visit several high schools in Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape to raise awareness against sexual grooming, which Nakesa explained as a man or woman developing a relationship with a younger person with the intention of having sexual relations with them.

“We want this to be an eye-opening event for the learners, many of whom may already be in relationships.

“The most important thing is to be aware of the signs of sexual grooming, like manipulation and someone feeling entitled to your body.”

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