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Johannesburg - With more than 60 documentaries at this year’s Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, it’s going to be difficult to choose what to see. We’ve picked some of our favourites:
1. Strike a Rock
This vital documentary by South African film maker Aliki Saragas follows the stories of a group of often forgotten women fighting for justice after the Marikana massacre. It’s the opener of the festival and the screening will also be its world premiere.
Watch the trailer here:
2. Whitney: Can I Be Me
Whitney Houston fans, this will be a heartbreaking but compulsory watch. Director Nick Broomfield takes a “brutally realistic” look at the life of the iconic late singer.
Watch the trailer here:
3. Skulls of my People
One of the most forgotten historical tragedies of our time was the 1904 genocide in Namibia, where the German empire exterminated more than 134 000 Herero and Nama people. This film by Vincent Moloi looks at the struggle for the return of skulls taken by German scientists.
Watch the trailer here:
4. The Fall
Remember when Mary Decker tripped South African golden girl Zola Budd at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics? This is a look at that dramatic event and the politics of that time.
Watch the trailer here:
5. Dragan’s Lair
South African director Lucy Witt’s Dragan’s Lair is a brave confrontation of her stepfather, who sexually abused her as a child. It’s become more and more important for us to bear witness to these stories and hold the perpetrators to account.
See an intro here:
Encounters runs from 1 to 11 June at the Labia, the Nouveau V&A Waterfront and Bertha Movie House, Isivivana Centre in Khayelitsha in Cape Town, and The Bioscope and the Nouveau Rosebank in Johannesburg.
Go to encounters.co.za for schedules and bookings
