The Wound main backdrop
The Wound main poster

The Wound

Visit website

6.3/10 • 58

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
Thando Mgqolozana, Malusi Bengu, John Trengove
Editors
Matthew Swanepoel

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  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

View Reviews
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.

Media

  • The Wound poster
  • The Wound poster
  • The Wound poster
  • The Wound poster
  • The Wound poster
  • The Wound poster
  • The Wound poster
  • The Wound poster

Recommendations

  • They Look Like People main backdrop

    They Look Like People

    6.2

  • Matthias & Maxime main backdrop

    Matthias & Maxime

    7.1

  • Seashore main backdrop

    Seashore

    6.3

  • Benjamin main backdrop

    Benjamin

    6.3

  • Uninvited main backdrop

    Uninvited

    4.9

  • Mumon: The Land of Stealth main backdrop

    Mumon: The Land of Stealth

    6.5

  • KickOff main backdrop

    KickOff

    5.5

  • A Dog's Purpose main backdrop

    A Dog's Purpose

    7.6

  • The Bourne Ultimatum main backdrop

    The Bourne Ultimatum

    7.4

  • Despicable Me 3 main backdrop

    Despicable Me 3

    6.5

  • Blade Runner 2049 main backdrop

    Blade Runner 2049

    7.6

  • A Trip to the Moon main backdrop

    A Trip to the Moon

    7.9

  • Avatar main backdrop

    Avatar

    7.6

  • Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark main backdrop

    Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

    6.5

  • It main backdrop

    It

    7.2

  • The Celebration main backdrop

    The Celebration

    7.7

  • Interstellar main backdrop

    Interstellar

    8.5

  • The Platform main backdrop

    The Platform

    7.0

  • The Shawshank Redemption main backdrop

    The Shawshank Redemption

    8.7

  • 1917 main backdrop

    1917

    8.0

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