A film based on real events, re-enacted by those who lived through them, we follow Siyabonga, a young man from the township of Mpophomeni, who one day hears that a movie will be made in a nearby town and makes it his mission to be a part of the film.

Language

Zulu, English

Genre

Doc-Fiction, Drama

Country

South Africa

Year

2018

Director

Joshua Magor

Actors

Siyabonga Majola Sabelo Khoza Xolani “X” Malinga Amanda Ncube Percy Mncedicy Zulu

Production

Other People

Length

94 minutes

Festivals / Awards

Locarno Film Festival

Siyabonga Majola, is a docu-fiction film set in the KwaZulu Natal region of modern day South Africa. It makes use of footage from both the narrative and documentary tradition In the film we follow Siyabonga, a young man making theatre plays in the township of Mpophomeni. One day he hears the surprising news tha t a movie is to be made in a nearby town and he makes it his mission to be part of the film. From conspiring with a maid to steal wifi from the umlungus (white people) so he can write an email to the film producers, to rebuffing a friend’s urgent plea for him to improve his luck through witchcraft, Siyabonga’s journey takes him down many surprising paths that ultimately lead him to meeting with the film’s director. Here we observe the conversation that caused the film we are watching to come into existence. A film based on real events, reenacted by those who lived through them, we follow this extraordinary man as he does all he can to try and improve his life and take control of his fortune