Low budget, high hopes: SA film's amazing journey

South Africa's hopes of winning a Golden Globe and an Oscar in 2016 rest on an independent, self-funded film made in seven days by a determined team of young filmmakers.

Ernest Nkosi, 30, directed Thina Sobabili (The Two of Us), for his master's thesis. He wrote the script with Mosibudi Pheeha, who also co-produced along with Nkosi, Enos Manthata and Mpho "Popps" Modikoane.

The film is a tragedy set in Alexandra and is entirely in Zulu, with remarkable production values and stirring performances.

Nkosi's dream began when he was eight and his parents took him to see Sarafina! in Katlehong, the East Rand township where he was born and raised.

"It was the first movie I'd seen where the people looked like me and spoke like me ... since then I have never wanted to do anything but make movies."

Thina Sobabili has been voted by the local film industry as South Africa's official entry for both major international awards, but there is much to be done before it receives a finalist nomination or a prize at either the Golden Globes in January or the Oscars in February.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which adjudicates the Golden Globes, has invited the team to show their film in Los Angeles on November 27. Nkosi has no idea how they will get there.

"I've just made my rent. I've put a rubber mat in my bank account, all the debits are going to bounce, but I've got to take a shot," he said in Johannesburg last week.

He was elated by the positive response Thina Sobabili received at film festivals in Montreal, New York, Vancouver and Barbados, to which he travelled with Manthata, actor Thato Dhladla and associate producer Katlego Twala.

They took out loans to buy return tickets to New York and train tickets to Montreal, leaving the rest to the gods.

"In Montreal 250 people came to our screening because they heard we were the Oscar contender," Nkosi said.

"They knew nothing about the film, had no expectations, which is the best kind of audience. It was fantastic. We took the train back to New York, hoping to fly to Vancouver, the biggest festival."

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They had approached South Africa's National Film and Video Foundation, part of the Department of Arts and Culture, for financial assistance to complete the trip.

But it was only at JFK Airport in New York that they heard the application had failed.

"We were stranded at JFK on October 2. Our flight home was three weeks later. We were supposed to be in Vancouver the next day for our screening, and we were completely broke. It was 3am in South Africa and the airport gives you 30 minutes free Wi-Fi. No one at home was awake. So we spent the night at JFK."

The next morning, comedian Modikoane sent them enough for flights to Vancouver.

"I got the first flight out of New York, flying to Phoenix, then Vancouver, which meant I would just make it to introduce our screening," said Nkosi. "I left the credit card with the other guys so they could book their flights."

But in Phoenix he was detained by US airport police because he could not produce the credit card used to pay for the flights. He was interrogated for almost three hours and released only when police agreed to phone the festival organisers, who vouched for him and booked him another flight. He arrived in Vancouver at midnight, having missed the screening. "But by the time I got there the entire festival knew who we were and what had happened ... we were instant celebrities, and we had another screening six days later."

With not a cent between them, they relied on the kindness of strangers. "The founder of the festival extended our hotel stay, and people took us under their wings. An ex-South African who runs a bakery gave us breakfast every day and told us to use his place as our office.

"We campaigned hard, we met everyone. And while all this was happening we got the news that we had qualified for the Golden Globe as well."

Six days later, they showed Thina Sobabili at Vancouver's new space-age theatre.

In his speech, Nkosi launched their Oscar campaign. "We can't compete with traditional marketing, the money they spend," he said. "But what we can do is tell our story, how this group of determined young guys, with absolutely no funding, found themselves in Vancouver that day.

"I couldn't say to anyone in South Africa before that we're going to win the Oscar, because you get side-eyed, you get laughed at. In Vancouver we tell them that, yoh, we think we can win the Oscar by using social media, because if governments can be overthrown via social media, we can do it. And we got a standing ovation."

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An industry leader asked them to stay on for a week so he could invite them to Shabbat dinner with high-powered friends.

"There were 27 people at the table," said Nkosi, "and they were there because of us. And I'm thinking, I'm just a kid from Katlehong, and here I am in this mansion, a guest of honour at Shabbat dinner . How did this happen?"

During that week they continued to drum up support. "Everywhere we went we carried the South African flag."

Their Canadian contacts collected money to send them to their final festival, in Barbados, where the film was again a hit.

Now there's campaigning to be run, and that's not cheap. Studios spend up to $10-million (about R140-million) promoting their Oscar contenders. Films are sent to hundreds of Academy members, special screenings are held and expensive advertisements are placed.

Nkosi is relying on goodwill to get his film seen and talked about.

"There's a lot of competition, but we've got a shot. We've been the smallest guy in every room but we've packed the biggest punch.

"Imagine if we win, what that will mean for independent filmmakers. I'm going for it no matter what anyone says. If I could swim to LA, I would. When the bank phones me I go, 'I'll pay you after the Oscars'."

"Thina Sobabili" is showing on the DStv Box Office channel until November 27.

To contribute to the campaign, use the official fundraising account "Support Thina Movie":

Account number 62571423286

FNB branch code 253305