What2Watch: Blood Psalms
The epic Showmax Original African fantasy stars Bongile Mantsai as Hlengu, the son of the chief of the Ku’ua, a nomadic tribe of wandering warriors.
In Blood Psalms, the epic Showmax Original African fantasy launching on Wednesday, 28 September 2022, Bongile Mantsai stars as Hlengu, the second-born son of the chief of the Ku’ua, a nomadic tribe of wandering warriors.
Blood Psalms marks Mantsai’s third collaboration with director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka after the South African Oscar entries Knuckle City and Sew The Winter To My Skin.
Mantsai won Best Actor at both the SAFTAs and Durban International Film Festival as ageing boxer Dudu Nyakama in Knuckle City, which also earned him an African Movie Academy Award nomination.
Mantsai also has SAFTAs for his performances as Vija in the Oscar-shortlisted The Wound (Inxeba) and Mthunzi on Scandal!.
In Blood Psalms, the likes of the Akachi and Great Nziwemabwe look down on the Ku’ua for their simple existence.
Hlengu longs to return his tribe to their former warrior glory.
Although his father, jolly chief Xemantso (Vusi Thanda from The Queen), made peace with the Akachi, Hlengu believes war is the only way.
First, though, he’ll have to find a way to inherit the throne ahead of his level-headed brother, Qotha (two-time SAFTA winner Hamilton Dlamini from Five Fingers For Marseilles).
But Qotha’s wife, Lala (Soso Rungqu from Isidingo, Generations: The Legacy, Tjovitjo), is determined to be queen – whatever it takes.
Other key Ku’ua characters include Kuthala (SAFTA winner Thishiwe Ziqubu from Tell Me Sweet Something and Hard To Get), the tribe’s fiercest warrior, and Toka (SAFTA winner Zolisa Xaluva from Gomora), who has turned his back on the Ku’ua to become general of the Akachi army.
Blood Psalms producer Layla Swart says the Ku’ua are the forefathers of the Nguni tribes.
They’re easy to identify in Blood Psalms. “The Ku’ua Kingdom is pretty much a leather and skin kingdom,” says SAFTA-winning costume designer Pierre Vienings (Five Fingers For Marseilles).
“Their great warriors are bare-chested. We want to show their scarification and their physique, so you understand that these are the great warriors that travel the plains of Africa.”
