When British film-maker Luke Bradford travelled to Tanzania to make a documentary which featured members of a community living with albinism, he met Florence.
She’d had both her arms hacked off because of the belief that the body parts of people with albinism have special powers – yet still managed to find joy in life.
This encounter inspired the development of White Gold. The live-action short film went on to premiere at The Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, where it won the Best Narrative Short prize, and has won numerous prestigious awards, including Best Narrative Short at The African Film Festival and Best Acting at the Global Impact Film Festival.
Mansa (Refilwe Modiselle), an African woman with albinism has had her arm hacked off by Natron the witch doctor in the name of witchcraft. Robbed of her security, career and dignity, Mansa now hunts Natron in a bid to confront him and seek revenge.
The persecution of people with albinism still persists in the 21st century. The superstition is widely prevalent in Africa, particularly in East Africa. People with albinism have been persecuted, killed, dismembered and even had their graves desecrated.
The NGO Under the Same Sun, which works with people with albinism has recorded more than 520 such attacks since 2006. Criminals can gain up to $75 000 (R1.1 million) for the sale of a whole body, according to the UN. Few attackers and witchdoctors have been brought to trial, let alone convicted.
Not one buyer in this macabre trade has ever been prosecuted.
The film stars Refilwe Modiselle, South Africa’s first professional fashion model with albinism.
Modiselle was nominated for Oprah Magazine’s Power List in 2013, thereafter beginning her acting career.
Refilwe has won several international acting awards for her performance as Mansa in White Gold.
Bradford has filmed in over 30 countries and witnessed some extremes in life. After graduating with a 1st Class Degree in television production, he has worked across hundreds of productions over the past 20 years with 24 award wins and a further 44 nominations. Bradford was 2nd Unit Director on five episodes of the UK’s Marcella For Itv and Netflix; he is currently working on a movie project involving Bear Grylls and YBG Films.
Producer Jackie Sheppard is known for the features Escape From Pretoria, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Africa United, the multi-award winning short I Am Sami and has produced films that have won over 70 awards around the world. Producer Luke Walton is the founder and director of the Pitch Film Fund which invests in emerging talent in the film industry. For more information on Under The Same Sun, visit: https:// www.underthesamesun.com/