Bona magazine has named four South African films that it says tell the story of the country’s heritage. The list includes Mapantsula, Proteus, The Forgotten Kingdom and Variations on a Theme.
The list was published to mark Heritage Month, which South Africa celebrates every September. The magazine said music, food and traditional clothing often get the most attention during the month.
Bona said film is one of the strongest ways to keep the country’s shared memory alive. It said local filmmakers have long used their work to reflect how the nation sees itself.
The first film on the list is Mapantsula. It was co-written by Oliver Schmitz and its lead actor, Thomas Mogotlane.
The story follows Panic, a small-time gangster in Soweto. He is pulled into the fight against apartheid after security police arrest him.
According to Bona, the film was shot while hiding its true purpose from apartheid censors. The makers presented it as an ordinary crime film.
Mapantsula showed police detention, township uprisings and racial inequality. Bona said it was the first anti-apartheid feature told fully from Black South African points of view. The film was praised at the Cannes Film Festival.
The second film, Proteus, is a historical drama set in Cape Town in the 18th century. It was directed by Jack Lewis and John Greyson.
The film is based on court records from Robben Island in the 1730s. It tells of a relationship of about ten years between Claas Blank, a Khoi man, and Rijkhaart Jacobz, a Dutch sailor.
Bona said Proteus brings back stories that colonial rulers and apartheid historians kept hidden. The magazine called it an important part of queer heritage film. It looks at how early colonial laws controlled love, identity and race at the Cape.
The third film, The Forgotten Kingdom, was directed by Andrew Mudge and filmed in Lesotho. It deals with belonging, being uprooted and making peace with one’s ancestors.
The main character is Atang, an unhappy young man living in Johannesburg. He returns to his family’s village to bury his father, who he had grown apart from.
Bona said the film shows how cultural identity stays linked to land, family lines and oral tradition.
The last film on the list is Variations on a Theme, directed by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar. Bona described it as part of the newest wave of South African cinema.
The film is a slow and quiet look at memory, home life and social change in local communities. Jacobs and Delmar focus on characters to show small changes in family life across generations.
Bona said the film shows the strength of local independent cinema. The magazine said it proves that new voices are still writing and rewriting the country’s heritage.
Source: this article is based on reporting by Bona. Image: Bona. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.