New movie tells story of struggling umXhosa mother during apartheid
Caught in the cross fire of her children’s needs, her husband’s illness, community anger and repressive laws, she was finally forced to give in
The legacy film, Poppie Nongena, will release in cinemas nationwide on January 30 next year.
The film is based on The Long Journey of Poppie Nongena, which is regarded as one of the best African novels of the twentieth century.
Clementime Mosimane plays the role of Poppie, alongside Anna-Mart van der Merwe (Die Storie van Klara Viljee, Kanarie), veterans Chris Gxalaba (Long walk to Freedom, The Crown, ER, Mandela and De Klerk), Rolanda Marais (Wolwe Dans in die Skemer, Binnelanders, Out on a Limb, Dead Easy), David Minaar (Torings, Fiela se Kind, Nag van die 19de, 7de Laan, Amalia) and Lida Botha (Invictus, Susters, Windprint, Pad na jou Hart, Die Boekklub, Hollywood in my Huis, Susters). Nomsa Nene, who played the title role to rave reviews in the international theatre production of Poppie, plays Poppie’s mother.
Poppie Nongena tells the story of a South African umXhosa mother, whose life revolves around finding stability for her family during a period of insufferable upheaval in the country when African women were forced, by arrests, fines and forced removal, to leave their homes and resettle in remote areas designated as black homelands.
When her husband, Stone, became too ill to work, Poppie was deemed by the law to be an “illegal” resident in her own country. She engaged in a desperate struggle with the authorities for permission to stay, moving from house to house, applying for permits, applying for extensions, extensions of extensions, and using every means at her disposal to remain with her children.
Caught in the cross fire of her children’s needs, her husband’s illness, community anger and repressive laws, she was finally forced to give in just as the 1976 riots for freedom erupted.
Award winning screenwriter and playwright Christiaan Olwagen directed the film with Vicci Turpin as the cinematographer. Olwagen’s previous work includes the critically acclaimed films, Johnny is nie dood nie, Die Seemeeu and Kanarie.
Hailed as groundbreaking, the novel was reprinted three times within its first four months of release and has since been translated into 13 languages. It has won multiple awards worldwide.
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