Madonsela to the fore at Jozi film festival

Former public protector Thuli Madonsela was set to take centre stage at Joburg’s longest running multi-genre film festival on Thursday night.

‘Whispering Truth to Power’‚ directed by Shameela Seedat‚ is the opening documentary of the Hozi Film Festival‚ and focuses on Madonsela’s final year in office.

The festival will screen local and international films at The Bioscope Indepedent Cinema in Maboneng and The Olive Tree Theatre in Marlboro.

“It documents the tense story of Madonsela’s last year in public office while simultaneously crafting an absorbing tale of an outstanding lawyer‚ mother and woman‚ as well as providing insight into several critical issues facing South Africa today‚ such as ongoing inequality‚ racial tensions‚ land redistribution‚ and corruption‚” said Seedat.

She is a human rights law specialist who veered into filmmaking in 2010‚ commissioned to make half-hour advocate documentaries. The film is Seedat’s first long form documentary.

Tickets for The Bioscope are R50 and available through their website. 

Screenings at The Olive Tree Theatre are free. Those interested can visit the Jozi Fil Festival website for more information.

Other festival highlights include: ‘Mma Moeketsi’ (short fiction) We all remember the fateful event‚ on 16 August 2012 when the South African police opened fire on striking miners at the Marikana Platinum Mine‚ where 34 miners were killed and 78 wounded. Based on a true story‚ Mma Moeketsi is a domestic worker from rural Lesotho working for a suburban family in Johannesburg.

‘The Black Mambas’ (short documentary‚ Africa Premiere) The Black Mambas are South Africa’s first and only all-female‚ anti-poaching unit‚ fighting to rescue their country’s rhinos from the edge of extinction.

‘The Adventures Of Supermama’ (feature film) Doris is a large‚ stubborn but charming woman in her mid 30’s. She dreams of being a crime fighter‚ but when confronted by crime in her community‚ she always causes more chaos than good.

‘Supa Modo’ (feature film‚ Johannesburg Premiere) An inspired reimagining of the superhero film‚ Supa Modo follows the story of 9-year-old Jo‚ terminally ill and taken home from hospital to die.

‘The Oslo Diaries’ (Africa Premiere) 1992. Israeli-Palestinian relations are at an all time low. In an attempt to stop the bloodshed‚ a small group of Israelis & Palestinians meet in Oslo – secretly and against the law. The meetings that changed the Middle East forever were never officially sanctioned and were chronicled only by the negotiators’ diaries.

Food Fighter‚ (Africa Premiere) Filmed over two years and across four continents‚ Food Fighter is the inspirational story of one woman’s crusade against the global scandal of food waste.