Mayfair is a melting pot of strong cultures and traditions.
The latest piece of work from director Sara Blecher is a compelling story that follows prodigal son Zaid Randera (Ronak Patani) who was fired from a refugee camp, and returns home to Mayfair, Johannesburg, where his overbearing father Aziz (Rajesh Gopie) - a businessman and occasional money launderer - is facing death threats.
Bitter towards his father, and unwilling to get his hands dirty, he’s tested to see just how far he will go to protect his family.
One of the most impressive things is that the film is shot entirely on location in Mayfair. Something that is particularly pleasing about the film is that it is authentic.
The film highlights some important socio-political issues such as the relationship between South Africans and African immigrants, the impact of toxic masculinities and toxic traditions or beliefs, and the role of women in intensely patriarchal communities.
One of my favourite scenes is that of the opening, where Zaid is at the refugee camp and he “unlawfully” distributes food among the people in the camp. It ends with disastrous consequences of course, but I loved how the scene was composed.
Filled with tender moments
and equally tense occasions, Mayfair is a beautiful exploration of the
line that exists between what’s right, and survival.