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CULTURECLASH
52min
Selection:
Durban International Film Festival 2003 /
Zanzibar Film Festival 2004
As is the case in many countries, South Africa has a population made up of many cultures. Inevitably these
cultures clash every now and then – chiefly as the result of one culture misunderstanding the customs of
another culture. CULTURECLASH looks at the common misconceptions, myths and prejudices that the main
cultural groups in South Africa have about each other in a documentary which, although it is sometimes
humorous and tongue-in-cheek, is also a serious attempt to understand why our cultures clash.
Although
focusing on the main cultural groups found in South Africa, CULTURECLASH
has universal appeal as it broaches the subject of multiculturalism and
ethnic diversity in an increasingly globalized world where the inhabitants
of many countries now have to come to terms with a constant influx of
migrant workers, political refugees and immigrants from very different
cultures. Societies need to openly deal with the challenges which first
colonialism and now globalisation have thrust in their path the peace
and harmony, and CULTURECLASH is an attempt to encourage open debate on
these issues.
CULTURECLASH will shock you, embarrass you and make you blush. It’ll also annoy some viewers and make
others scream with laughter. At the end of it all we’ll all have gained a better understanding of the other cultures
in South Africa, and hopefully the “clashes” will be gentler in the future.
Funded by National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF)
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WOMEN SPEAK OUT
! 4 x 24min
BODY
BEAUTIFUL - Selection: Durban International Film Festival/ Zanzibar
Film Festival 2004
Mama Africa Tour 2005 - British Film Institute/ Cinemateket 2006 - Danish
Film Institute
WOMEN SPEAK OUT ! is a series of four 24min documentaries directed by three emerging black female
directors. BRING BACK YESTERDAY by Lungiswa Sithole looks at the issues of hostel-dwelling pensioners
in Langa and Guguletu. BODY BEAUTIFUL by Omelga Mthiyane is a study of the body image of Black women
and PARENT ALONE by Bongi Mdongwe provides a touching insight into single fatherhood in South Africa.
SPEAKING OUT is a pacy behind-the-scenes look at the realities facing black female directors in South Africa.
As South African society emerges from centuries of censorship and oppression, issues such these are being
discussed by the younger generation of “angry young women”.
CONTROVERSI FILMS is heavily invested in developing filmmaking talent in South Africa. Apart from producing
and directing our own projects, we feel that as producers it is vital that we facilitate other meaningful productions
by emerging filmmakers. This is true development of skills, as these young directors are extremely talented and
will grow under the mentorship of an experienced team of producers, technicians and editors.
Funded by National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF)
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CAPE OF RAPE
54min
Once known as the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town is now one of the rape capitals of the world, with one in
three women expecting to be raped in her lifetime. Film maker Derek Antonio Serra spent four months
researching and shooting this, his second documentary and the programme has made broadcasting history in
South Africa as the first documentary to show the faces of rape survivors on national TV.
CAPE OF RAPE looks at the experiences of seven women who were raped in a direct, no-holds-barred manner
that lays to rest once and for all many of the myths surrounding the issue of rape. This in-depth documentary
looks at the effects of rape on not only the individual victims, but on society as a whole. With harrowing accounts
by rape survivors, the programme is both controversial and shocking, containing previously unreleased police
footage of rape victims injuries.
Although some viewers are shocked by segments of the programme, the
documentary has been positively received by rape support groups and
CAPE OF RAPE is now being used by both RAPE CRISIS, PATCH and CRISISLINE
in the training of rape counsellors countrywide.
Funded
by the Department of Arts & Culture Interim Film Fund.
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LOVE FOOLS 52min
LOVE FOOLS is a zany, roller coaster look at romantic love from its early emergence to its contemporary
form. Ever since Eve offered Adam a bite of her apple, we have tried to understand what love is, and what
makes us fall in love. Thousands of poems, novels, movies and anguished declarations later, what is
modern mans understanding of this phenomena?
In a programme spanning five continents and thousands of kilometers of traveling, director Derek Antonio
Serra and production manager Edna Roelofse set off on a mission to discover what the modern perception
of love is. World experts on the chemical basis of “love” are contrasted with ordinary people the world over.
Reality-style footage of the metamorphosis of a love relationship from earth-shattering beginning to heart-
breaking end vies with innovative visuals and animation for the viewers’ attention. Raw emotion is set against
cold calculation as people from all walks of life describe how they deal with love and lust in all its forms. Is it
the real thing, or are they just LOVE FOOLS?
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INNOCENCE
LOST 48min
INNOCENCE LOST provides a unique, spine-tingling glimpse into the experiences of sexually abused
children. Through their eyes, and the eyes of their schoolmates we enter a world of horror and fear as their
fathers, brothers and relatives betray them. Often enduring repeated rape, physical torture and emotional
blackmail, these children struggle to survive blood-chilling abuse. A talented team of artists and animators
bring their darkest experiences to life by animating actual drawings produced by the children.
This extremely disturbing, thought-provoking documentary is destined to become a “must-see” film for every
parent and caregiver. Just as its predecessor CAPE OF RAPE is used as a training tool for adult rape
counselors, INNOCENCE LOST will become a powerful weapon against child abuse in South Africa.
Directed by Derek Antonio Serra and Lara Taylor, the programme is being privately funded by Controversi
Films as part of its Controversi Cares initiative. UCT Rag, Reach for a Dream, the Halt Elder Abuse Line and
Rape Crisis have all benefited from this initiative in past years, and Controversi Films is determined to continue
producing hard-hitting documentaries on social issues.
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STREETLIFE
- VIRGINS
52 min
A provocative, controversial look at the lives of street prostitutes in Cape Town, South Africa, this gritty documentary
is director Derek Antonio Serra's first film.Shot over a period of three months on the streets of Cape Town, VIRGINS
captures the experiences of five street prostitutes aged from 12 to 34 yrs on film. Often working alone at 2am, the
director has captured life on the streets in a raw, thought-provoking documentary.
Containing explicit dialogue and visuals, this is not a film for the faint-hearted!
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STREETLIFE
- PARADISE
52min
A follow-up to VIRGINS, this film takes viewers into the underworld of Cape Town's street people, both young and old.
Although largely uneducated, some of the streetpeople who participate in the programme take politicians to task for
the lack of facilities available to the numerous streetpeople in the city. We go into the night shelters to interview our
subjects - we shoot late at night in alleyways. Young children recount their experiences, and tell us of their dreams
for the future. On more than one occasion we are left with a lump in our throat...
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WHITE WORKING CLASS (in production)
48 min
In this personal film on his father, director Derek Antonio Serra provides us with a glimpse into the life of an ordinary
white working class man who has lived through much of the 20th century in South Africa. Bill Serra is the son of an
Italian immigrant who came to South Africa in 1920, three hundred years after the first colonial settlers set foot in
Southern Africa. A simple man with a strong work ethic, Bill was never unemployed for one day of his adult life. We
follow him as he revisits some of the major landmarks he helped construct during his lifetime. A great storyteller, he
shares his memories of the trials and tribulations he and his men endured while building these landmarks.
Through these intriguing tales we gain an insight into the life of a typical white working class family struggling to
make ends meet each day, a story seldom told in todays politically correct South African documentaries.
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"nudecapetown"
(in production)
48 min
Over
30 ordinary Capetonians posed nude for the art photography exhibition
"nudecapetown" in 2005/2006. This behind-the-scenes documentary
covers the entire process of producing thephotographs for this unique
exhibition and calendar. Students, brokers, bookkeepers, vets and secretaries
volunteered to be photographed nude in their work places, at home or
outdoors. Each person has their own reason for participating in the
project - some are exhibitionists, someare
painfully shy, some just want to break out of a boring lifestyle.
If
nudity offends, don't watch this film, which contains full frontal male
and female nudity.
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IN DEVELOPMENT
Shocking, eye-opening, fly-on-the-wall documentaries are our specialty. Worldwide production undertaken on any topic
- and we mean ANY topic.
DISTRIBUTION
To licence or screen any of our documentaries, contact us directly at:
CONTROVERSI FILMS
3 Faure Street
Cape Town
South Africa
Tel +27 21 426 1665
Fax +27 21 424 9404
email controversifilms@mweb.co.za
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