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The Wound

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6.4/10 • 55

2017-04-191h 28m

Drama

Eastern Cape, South Africa. A lonely factory worker, Xolani, takes time off his job to assist during an annual Xhosa circumcision initiation into manhood. In a remote mountain camp that is off limits to women, young men, painted in white ochre, recuperate as they learn the masculine codes of their culture. In this environment of machismo and aggression, Xolani cares for a defiant initiate from Johannesburg, Kwanda, who quickly learns Xolani's best kept secret, that he is in love with another man.

Directors
John Trengove
Writters
John Trengove, Thando Mgqolozana, Malusi Bengu
Editors
John Trengove, Matthew Swanepoel

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Nakhane

    Nakhane

    Xolani

  2. Bongile Mantsai

    Bongile Mantsai

    Vija

  3. Niza Jay Ncoyini

    Niza Jay Ncoyini

    Kwanda

  4. Thobani Mseleni

    Thobani Mseleni

    Babalo

  5. Gamelihle Bovana

    Gamelihle Bovana

    Initiate

  6. Halalisani Bradley Cebekhulu

    Halalisani Bradley Cebekhulu

    Initiate

  7. Inga Qwede

    Inga Qwede

    Initiate

  8. Sibabalwe Ngqayana

    Sibabalwe Ngqayana

    Initiate

  9. Siphosethu Ngcetane

    Siphosethu Ngcetane

    Initiate

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Aug 12, 2024

7/10

"Xolani" or just "X" (Nakhane) left his Xhosa tribe to find work in the city, but has now returned as a "caregiver" to help the young men prepare for their impending initiation into manhood. This essentially involves being covered in a white paint and preparing for a circumcision that was as likely to lead to terminal infection as to anything else. He reunites with his married friend "Vija" (Bongile Mantsai) and we quickly discover that's their is an unconventional friendship - and one that is best kept under wraps. That proves much more difficult when one of his initiates - "Kwanda" (Niza Jay) cottons on and it's clear that he can, and will, cause trouble. What follows is a poignantly told story of two men treading on eggshells. They must reconcile their own feelings with their responsibilities to their families, community and culture, and as events begin to spiral out of control it falls to "X" to make some very difficult choices and take some equally drastic action. There isn't loads of dialogue here, the photography and the simplicity of the surroundings do most of the heavy lifting as we observe their drama unfolding against a backdrop of attitudes that can make you wince at times. On the face of it, you could make some value judgments about "Kwanda" but when the context of their societal values is presented to us, that's not quite so simple as us Westerners might expect. This has a very natural feel to it, the characters seem plausible and they do engage. It's worth ninety minutes, for sure.

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Status
Released
Original Language
Xhosa
Budget
--
Revenue
$142,684.00
Keywords
homophobiacircumcisionsouth africagay interestin the closetinitiationrite of passagemasculinitybannedafrican customscircumcision ritualtraditional leadertraditional cultureeastern cape