The Wooden Camera (2003)

A township near Cape Town. Two young teens, Madiba and Sipho, find a gun and a camera. Sipho takes the gun, and Madiba the camera, sealing their fate.

Director:

Ntshaveni Wa Luruli

Writers:

Yves Buclet, Peter Speyer

Stars:

Junior Singo, Dana de Agrella, Innocent Msimango

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Junior Singo	...	Madiba
Dana de Agrella	...	Estelle
Innocent Msimango	...	Sipho
Lisa Petersen	...	Louise
Nicholas Jara	...	Benny
Lynita Crofford	...	TV Reporter
Nomhlé Nkyonyeni	...	Servant (as Nomhle Nkonyeni)
Thembi Mtshali	...	Madiba's Mother
Jean-Pierre Cassel	...	Mr. Shawn
Fats Bookholane	...	Madiba's Father
Bo Petersen	...	Estelle's Mother
Andre Jacobs	...	Estelle's Father

Storyline

Kayelitsha, South-Africa, today. 2003 A township, close to Cape-town, after the end of Apartheid. Two kids, 14, Madiba and Sipho play along the railway. A train passes by. A dead man rolls to their feet. On him, they find a gun and a video camera. Sipho takes the gun and Madiba the camera. Their destiny is sealed. Benny, their friend makes a wooden camera and Madiba hides the video inside, in order to avoid embarrassing questions, racketing etc. He starts filming the township and its inhabitants. He discovers the strange beauty of his life's setting. Sipho, the boss, brings his friends to Cape-town, the white city, so close, so far, so exotic to the eyes of the children. While Sipho forms a gang with the street children and makes all kinds of illicit trading, Madiba films the town, its huge buildings, its business life, and its luxury. In a bookstore, he films a young white girl, stealing a book. They look at each other. Going out of the store, she drops book on road, knowing he will ...

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Genres:

Family

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Details

Country:

France UK South Africa

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 July 2004 (France)

Also Known As:

Träkameran

Company Credits

Production Co:

ODELION, Richard Green & Associates, Tall Stories

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

A charming film

Yes, maybe there are parts of this film which require suspending belief a little but that doesn't take anything away from the film's charm and wonder. It was shown as part of our town's youth film festival and was the organising committee's favourite. Which is not surprising. The subject matter - coming together in a race-torn, though post-apartheid South Africa is highly topical and the treatment of the theme is inspirational. Of course, as the previous comment mentions the film does have its shortcomings, but the realism of the setting and the way the director treats his subject matter belies these shortcomings. I saw this with my wife and we returned the same evening with the children. A film to watch, meditate, discuss and act upon.