Tsotsi's boost for SA film scene

By James Copnall
BBC News, Ouagadougou

Presley Chweneyagae played the troubled Tsotsi

It is a year since the South African film Tsotsi won the best foreign language film at the Oscars and is now in competition at Fespaco, the biannual African film festival in Burkina Faso.

It was an unexpected award - and a landmark moment for African cinema.

And for those associated with Tsotsi, the powerful drama that gripped audiences and juries alike, it has dramatically altered things.

First came the triumphant return to South Africa. Then the film was shown - and feted - all around the world. Finally the director, Gavin Hood, was signed up to make a big bucks Hollywood movie.

But has Tsotsi improved life for the rest of South African cinema?

Favourable position

Norman Make, a young South African filmmaker at Fespaco, says it has in terms of finding financiers as it's now easier to pitch a story.

Film-lovers are enjoying 200 or so movies at Fespaco

Explaining, "they've already seen what a township looks like, and all those things that you would have had to explain to them.

"Winning an Oscar has put us in a very favourable position - people are now looking at you when before they were not really looking at you. Now they're like hey! That's where the Oscar comes from, you know? So that's a good thing."

Although that boost hasn't been reflected in the number of South African feature films competing for Fespaco's top prize, the Yennenga Stallion. Tsotsi is one of two in the running, down from four in 2005.

But there is a selection of South African documentaries on show here, and increased international interest in working with South Africans.

Mixed feelings

However not all film-makers from the Rainbow Nation applauded Tsotsi.

Director Teddy Mattera, who recently said that he was fed up with white directors like Gavin Hood telling black stories, explains why: "I think anybody is allowed to tell stories and any stories they want to, but once you do that, it opens yourself up for commentary about it,

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"And for me in this case, it is that we once again have stories told, and my fear is that it gets perpetuated, because the recognition continuously goes to the people who are white and who don't necessarily share a particular vision."

Describing why he doesn't really like Tsotsi, Mr Mattera says, "the perpetuation of black men with guns has to end somewhere," as does the one of, "black people always living in miserable conditions in South Africa."

So feelings among South African filmmakers are definitely mixed.

It seems as if Tsotsi has benefited those who made it, and given much needed publicity to South African cinema.

But some, like Teddy Mattera, believe the wrong people are getting the attention.