Cape Town - Former AFDA student and writer and producer Megan Van Der Merwe says the idea for her feature film Thulile was sparked by the constant underlying fear women experience in South Africa.
"Femicide rates are at an all time high, and I wanted to present women with a narrative where they are able to take control of their fate, harness their fear and courageously stand their ground - with positive and inspiring results," Van der Merwe said.
Directed by Andre Cronje, Thulile is part of the line-up for IOL's Youth Day Film Festival, which sees a specially curated selection of documentaries and features about youth activism and topical issues being made available on the IOL website for free for the 24 hours of June 16. We are calling on you to use the day to pause and watch your rise.
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
Thulile is about a young woman in Umlazi who loses her father and seeks a way to protect herself after she is mugged. She discovers that her father was a boxer and with the assistance of a childhood friend she begins to train.
The film stars Nomfundo Ngwenya, Tevin Kunene and Musa Shozi.
Van der Merwe says a key crew and cast of 15 people spent 13 days filming Thulile in Umlazi and surrounding Durban.
"Andre worked long hours to prepare our cast, turning them into full fledged boxers.
"Our aim is to submit Thulile to other film festivals in future. We hope to reach and inspire a wide audience in this way."
Follow the Instagram account @Thulile_Film to find out more about future screenings.
Along with Thulile, IOL's Youth Day Film Festival's selection includes UPRIZE! by Sifiso Khanyile, Professor Siona O’Connell’s documentary The Wynberg 7: An Intolerable Amnesia about a group of high school students imprisoned in the 80s, Weaam Williams’award-winning film Hip Hop Revolution; Nadine Cloete’s powerful and heartbreaking short film Miseducation; artist Haroon Gunn-Salie's Zonnebloem renamed; the story of Keletso, a young geologist, who is passionate about the protection of the beautiful environment she grew up in, Rehad Desai's look at the #FeesMustFall movement entitled Everything Must Fall and more.
Watch along with us this Youth Day and reflect on where we have come from and the battles ahead.