I know I said I was going to be on hiatus due to exams but, in the spirit of true procrastination, I’ve found so many “amazing things” that I “absolutely have to write about” since the exam period started.
On Thursday afternoon, almost immediately after leaving Hall 29 (also known as “Hell 29” to any true Witsie, although it was so cold in there that morning that almost anything warmer would’ve been more preferable) I got on a Metro Bus to Gandhi Square.
Giving the names of buses and locations, and even ticket prices (R8, or just a swipe of a card pre-loaded with trips, just so you know) makes it seem like I know what I’m talking about, but really I don’t.
A friend and I were just taking our chances, adopting a sort of “we’ll see when we get there” approach to the whole thing.
On arrival at Carlton Centre (and yes, every time I think about it I think about Mbongeni Ngema’s song) we asked a bored-looking security guard where the cinema was, and then had to wait an hour while the staff at the Ster-Kinekor got their computers online.
It turns out Carlton Centre has the potential to be a regular weekend hangout, but that’s a story for another day.
After jumping at the opportunity to use my Gold Card for a discount on a ticket (any self-respecting student should own one of these), and experiencing some really bad service at the snacks counter, we made our way to Cine 5, where I could just feel that we were about to see something really amazing.
Well, the first thing that “amazed” us was the entrance to the cinema. We walked along a passage, turned a corner, and took some stairs before we came out from behind the screen. You see, at this Ster-Kinekor, the back is really the front, and “sour cream and chives” really means “salt and vinegar”.
I don’t even know if “sub-standard” and “incompetent” are the right words to use here. Let’s just say it was…unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.
I was disappointed that there were less than 10 people seeing Otelo Burning altogether. I’m just going to say that everyone else watched it before, or that people were reluctant to go so far out to see it and so watched it a cinema closer to them, because I just can’t accept that no one was interested in paying to see a South African production.
For two months, I’ve been reading reviews, watching the trailer and listening to the soundtrack to this movie, so I was so glad to finally be watching it.
As those who keep tabs on my social network musings will already know, I loved it. I mean, I knew it was going to be good because it was produced by Sara Blecher, who was also involved with Bay Of Plenty and Surfing Soweto, and I enjoyed those- but I did not expect this.
The story is about Otelo Buthelezi, his younger brother Ntwe and their friend New Year, and the life events which changed them forever in the years leading up to former president Nelson Mandela’s release from prison.
At the local swimming pool in Lamontville, the three boys meet Mandla. As their friendship grows, Mandla introduces the boys to his world: the world of surfing.
It seems unlikely that a boy who has been taught to fear the water and the many “evil creatures” that live in it could ever really excel at surfing, but this is exactly what happens with Otelo. Soon, Mandla’s friend and mentor of sorts Kurt (the novelty of a white man speaking Zulu will never wear off for me- I enjoyed this character) is helping Otelo to prepare for an compete in competitions.
While Otelo becomes a better surfer, and New Year and Ntwe are getting to know this new world of Mandla’s, the UDF and the Inkatha are fighting among themselves in Lamontville. People are dying, and each one blames the next one for all the blood that is being spilled in the name of “freedom”.
The sea and the big city are a momentary escape from the troubles of home for the boys, but if you continue to look over your shoulder as you’re running away, the enemy will surely catch up to you.
The story takes a mind-boggling turn as we are shown that no one is ever who you think they are, and that it is the dark truth of human nature that betraying others to get yourself ahead will always be an option.
By this point, the story has pulled you in and you are going through everything along with the characters. So much so, that I had completely forgotten about my Smarties and was ready to stand up and actually punch someone. Sara Blecher’s work will do that to you.
At the end of the film, Otelo’s character (portrayed so incredibly well by Jafta Mamabolo- I won’t look down on him every night on Generations anymore) has gone through a complete transformation. Hopes are shattered, and a young boy becomes a man under harsh circumstances.
But, since the theme of triumph over adversity is always present in Blecher’s work, the end of the movie doesn’t feel like the end of the story: the characters show a potential for a new life, and one almost wishes to be part of the next chapter of these unforgettable people’s lives.
The cinematography (a new word I learned when I decided to become a conscious movie watcher, instead of just someone who goes to gawk at the actors and catch a few cheap laughs) is quite something. The film is just beautiful to watch, and the location scouts did a good job of finding places that still had that late 80s early 90s feel to them. It’s always good when a story is believable that way.
I also absolutely loved the soundtrack. Zaki Ibrahim, Tumi, Reason and other really good South African artists provided music that fit the time of the movie as well as the theme. Another testament to how talented South African artists really are.
Read more about the movie and listen to some of the songs on the soundtrack at oteloburning.com.
There is so much more I would like to say about the movie, but I just don’t even have the words to express some of it.
It’s still showing at The Bioscope until the 9th of June, so run out and see it!
Nkhensani Manabe 