Cape Town - In an about-turn in his career, controversial film-maker Jahmil XT Qubeka’s movie Sew the Winter to my Skin has been announced as South Africa’s submission to next year’s Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Qhubeka, who previously had a film shut down by the Film and Publication Board in 2013, said he was humbled by the selection.
The film was recently selected as the opening-night film for the Cape Town International Film and Market Festival, which takes place next month, and had its world premier at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this month.
The National Film and Video foundation’s (NFVF) awards selection committee, consisting of members from various fields in film, viewed submissions over two days.
“The selection is done by a jury of our peers and that makes it even more special. It’s a vote of confidence from our colleagues and fellow film-makers.
“I cannot express how proud and humbling that feels. That in itself is a big win for us, anything else going forward is just gravy,” said Qubeka.
He said the government’s interventions in the film industry were bearing fruit.
“Nothing is perfect, far from it, but we are as a nation finding our voice through this medium. Whatever your politics, whatever your creed, the mechanisms to raise finance and support development of films have vastly improved. Even a sceptic like me can’t deny that,” he said.
Sew the Winter to My Skin, explores the story of legendary black rebel folk hero, John Kepe. In the rural Great Karoo region, the bandit Kepe terrorises white farmers, stealing their livestock and supplies to give back to his impoverished community.
General Botha, an embittered World War II veteran, becomes obsessed
with the capture of the notorious Kepe and leads an epic manhunt for
him through the mountains, where he is rumoured to occupy a mysterious cave.
The committee applauded the film as an “unmistakable, bold, South African voice that tackles historical and contemporary issues, in both South Africa and the world”.
While the film has been submitted to the Oscars, that does not guarantee a nomination as the Academy Awards have their own selection criteria.
The film will be screened at the Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau Rosebank Mall in Joburg until September 27 as it needs to be screened for seven days as part of the Oscar qualifying submission cinema run.
In 2013, Qubeka’s film Of Good Report caused a stir when it was due to open the Durban International Film Festival, but on opening night the film was banned by the Film and Publication Board based on a scene between a teacher and a pupil that was considered child pornography.