With the anouncement of Tsotsi winning the best foreign language film of the year, South Africans all over the world can be proud of the film’s accomplishments and the positive effect it has had on the South African film industry.
With the anouncement of Tsotsi winning the best foreign language film of the year, South Africans all over the world can be proud of the film’s accomplishments and the positive effect it has had on the South African film industry.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrica. God bless Africa, said Gavin Hood excitedly .We may have foreign language films, but our stories are the same as your stories. They are about the human heart and emotions.
Director Hood was reacting as the local film Tsotsi picked up the Best Foreign Film award at the Academy Awards held on Sunday night. Hood was almost shouting with excitment as he accepted one of the highest accolades that a film maker can receive.
There were rumours that Tsotsi would lose out to the riveting Palestinian movie, Paradise Now. However, on Sunday it was confirmed by the almost 5000 members of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Art and Sciences that South African movies were a force to be reckoned with in the global movie industry.
Tsotsi’s win has far-reaching (positive) consequences for the South African film industry, said local producer Anant Singh. He declared that Tsotsi’s win had announced South Africa’s arrival on the global movie-making scene and an exceptional win like this raises hopes that the revival in local film-making would get a further spark.
Besides Tsotsi, South Africa has had a remarkable showing at the Academy Awards. Our golden girl, Charlize Theron won an Oscar (and almost every other award up for grabs) for her role in the 2004 thriller, Monster.
She was also nominated this year for her impressive work in the mine drama North Country.
There was another South African winner at this year’s Oscars. Dion Beebe won the coveted golden man this year for Best Cinematography for Memoirs of a Geisha and was also nominated in the same category in 2002 for the musical Chicago.
Tsotsi was the second South African film to be nominated in the Best Foreign Film category. Last year it was the thought-provoking Aids drama Yesterday that was nominated, but did not win.
South African films have triumphed at other prestigious awards, too. Xhosa film U-Carmen eKhayelitsha became the first South African film to win the Golden Bear for best film at the prestigious Berlin International Film Festival.
And Drum, directed by Zola Maseko, won the Golden Stallion of Yennenga award at the Pan-African Fespaco film festival in Burkina Faso.
Backstage at the Oscars a jubilant Hood said, This Oscar will inspire other South African filmmakers.
I think it’s fantastic. It’s an amazing experience for South Africa and I am so proud to be part of this country and a part of this nomination.
