‘Inxeba’ cast moved to safe house after receiving death threats
The cast members of the controversial movie Inxeba (‘The Wound’) have been moved into a safe house for their protection.
The move is a result of death threats against the actors and movie producers. Several cinemas were forced to cancel screenings of the film amidst threats of violence.
Inxeba tells the story of a gay factory worker who returns to the Eastern Cape to help a group of young men undergoing a Xhosa initiation.
Many have expressed anger over the ‘sacred’ ceremony being included in a movie, as what happens during the initiation is meant to be a secret.
Speaking to HeraldLIVE, producer Elias Ribeiro says the actors have been left scared after threats were made against them
“We created a refugee camp to keep everyone out of trouble – it is a difficult situation. We are seriously concerned about our personal safety across the board,” he told the publication.
Producer Cait Pansegrouw added that her team has been “receiving death threats constantly” since the film’s trailer first came out last year.
“It got to a point where [one of the actors] had to cancel shooting a project in the Eastern Cape because it was not safe for him,” she told HeraldLIVE.
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has condemned the “violent” threats against the cast and crew.
The SAHRC released a statement on Wednesday calling on “all who feel aggrieved by Inxeba ‘The Wound’ to exercise their right to protest within the confines of the law”.
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