Alpha Mthembu is living proof that your circumstances do not define you.
He was eight years old when he was abandoned by his mother. From then on he was brought up by Abraham Kriel Childcare, first at the Langlaagte campus, and then at Huis Mouton, Linden.
Mthembu only kept contact with his father.
Now 20 years old, Mthembu is going to California, United States of America, to showcase his short film at the 2014 Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF).
The festival will take place between 17 and 19 October and Mthembu is in the running for the Emerging Filmmaker award, and his short film Zulu Lessons is in the running for Best Short Film.
Mthembu explains his film: “My surname is Zulu but I only knew English and Afrikaans growing up,” he says. “The film is about me learning the Zulu language and culture.”
Mthembu interned at Red Pepper Pictures, Linden, in 2012, the same year he matriculated from Roosevelt High School.
He studied cinematography at Big Fish School of Digital Filmmaking in 2013 and 2014, where he produced Zulu Lessons.
He is positive about his future and dreams of becoming a director of photography at SuperSport.
“If you look at life negatively you won’t get anywhere,” he says.
“I am hoping for a good future. I want to travel more and do adventures.”
He says that whether he wins or not in California, he wants to enjoy the experience.
“Even if there is a bad reception of my film I want to go and get experience, network with filmmakers and learn how things are done properly.”
Former house mother at Huis Mouton Maria van Tonder says she is “very proud” of Mthembu, and in her four years at the home he was the best boy she looked after.
“He was the best behaved, had respect for himself and others, was polite and a pleasure to have,” she says. “In four years I never heard him say anything negative.”
Details: Huis Mouton mouton@abrahamkriel.org, 011 888 5276.
