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== Production ==
== Production ==
Inspiration for ''The Wound'' came after director John Trengove read ''A Man Who is Not a Man'', a novel by Thando Mgqolozana on the topic of the Xhosa initiation ceremony.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-02-09-inxeba-wounding-the-pride-and-prejudice-of-xhosa-men/|title=Inxeba: Wounding the Pride and Prejudice of Xhosa men?|last=Mabasa|first=Nkateko|date=9 February 2018|work=The Daily Maverick|access-date=15 February 2018}}</ref> It received funding from the [[National Film and Video Foundation]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://citizen.co.za/lifestyle/your-lifestyle-1/1824503/inxeba-shows-how-far-african-storytelling-still-has-to-go/|title=Inxeba shows how far African storytelling still has to go|last=Roets|first=Adriaan|date=19 February 2018|work=The Citizen|access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> Cultural experts were consulted to ensure the authenticity of the material.<ref>"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c51N6wo2urA John Trengove's latest film, The Wound, premiers in Berlin]", SABC Digital News</ref>
Inspiration for ''The Wound'' came after director John Trengove read ''A Man Who is Not a Man'', a novel by Thando Mgqolozana on the topic of the Xhosa initiation ceremony.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-02-09-inxeba-wounding-the-pride-and-prejudice-of-xhosa-men/|title=Inxeba: Wounding the Pride and Prejudice of Xhosa men?|last=Mabasa|first=Nkateko|date=9 February 2018|work=The Daily Maverick|access-date=15 February 2018}}</ref> Trengove wished to challenge the notion that homosexuality was a product of western culture that posed a threat to traditional African culture.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.filmdoo.com/blog/2018/04/26/interview-john-trengove-and-nakhane-toure-talk-the-wound/|title=Interview: John Trengove and Nakhane Touré talk The Wound|last=|first=|date=2018-04-26|work=FilmDoo|access-date=2018-08-16|language=en-US}}</ref> The film received funding from the [[National Film and Video Foundation]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|url=https://citizen.co.za/lifestyle/your-lifestyle-1/1824503/inxeba-shows-how-far-african-storytelling-still-has-to-go/|title=Inxeba shows how far African storytelling still has to go|last=Roets|first=Adriaan|date=19 February 2018|work=The Citizen|access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> Cultural experts were consulted to ensure the authenticity of the material.<ref>"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c51N6wo2urA John Trengove's latest film, The Wound, premiers in Berlin]", SABC Digital News</ref>


== Reception ==
== Reception ==

Revision as of 11:59, 16 August 2018

The Wound
Film poster
Directed byJohn Trengove
Written byJohn Trengove
Thando Mgqolozana
Malusi Bengu
Produced byElias Ribeiro
Cait Pansegrouw
StarringNakhane Touré
CinematographyPaul Ozgur
Edited byMatthew Swanepoel
Music byJoão Orecchia
Release date
  • 22 January 2017 (2017-01-22) (Sundance)
Running time
88 minutes
CountriesSouth Africa
France
Germany[1]
LanguageXhosa
Box office$30,678 (USA)[2][3] R598,571 (ZA)[4]

The Wound (Xhosa: Inxeba[5]) is a 2017 South African drama film directed by John Trengove.[6] It was screened in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival[7] and the Panorama section of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival.[8] The film opened the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival 2017.[9] It was selected as the South African entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards,[10][11] making the December shortlist.[12]

Plot

The story tracks a closeted relationship between two men in the context of the Xhosa initiation ritual of Ulwaluko.[13][14] Xolani, a factory worker, joins the men of his community at the annual initiation ceremony in the mountains of Eastern Cape. In addition to serving as a mentor to the boys undergoing the ceremony, Xolani looks forward to the annual tradition due to the fact that it provides him the opportunity to reestablish his sexual and romantic relationship with Vija. When Xolani is assigned to be the mentor of Kwanda, a young man from Johannesburg, he quickly realizes that Kwanda is also gay, and Kwanda soon realizes the nature of the relationship between Vija and Xolani. Tensions soon rise between the three men.[15]

Cast

  • Nakhane Touré as Xolani
  • Bongile Mantsai as Vija
  • Niza Jay Ncoyini as Kwanda
  • Siphosethu Sethsinger Ngcetane as Nkosi
  • Loyiso Lloyd N Ngqayana as Vija's Inititate
  • Sibabalwe Esbie Ngqayana as Zuko
  • Halalisani Bradley Cebekhulu as Lukas
  • Inga Qwede as Ncedo

Production

Inspiration for The Wound came after director John Trengove read A Man Who is Not a Man, a novel by Thando Mgqolozana on the topic of the Xhosa initiation ceremony.[16] Trengove wished to challenge the notion that homosexuality was a product of western culture that posed a threat to traditional African culture.[17] The film received funding from the National Film and Video Foundation.[18] Cultural experts were consulted to ensure the authenticity of the material.[19]

Reception

Inxeba received 19 awards at 44 festivals worldwide; received eight South African Film and Television Awards (Safta) nominations, including Best Actor, Best Directing and Best Film; and was short-listed for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category.[16][20]

Controversy

The film has been accused of cultural insensitivity because it portrays secretive initiation rituals. However, other media covering the same topic, like Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom, have not received similar criticism, leading to accusations that complaints about the film are instead motivated by homophobia.[13][16][18]

A day after the film's release in South Africa, cinemas in the Eastern Cape province were forced to cancel screenings of the film and offer refunds because of protests, intimidation and vandalism. Nu Metro Cinemas subsequently cancelled screenings countrywide, while Ster-Kinekor continued to show it outside of the Eastern Cape. The film's producers filed complaints with the Human Rights Commission and the Commission for Gender Equality over threats and violence.[16][20] Crew and cast received death threats and were forced to go into hiding.[4]

Reclassification

The film was initially classified as 16LS by South Africa's Film and Publication Board (FPB), but was later reclassified as X18 by the FPB's Appeal Tribunal after complaints by the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa and other cultural and Christian organisations. X18 is the rating reserved for hardcore pornography, although Inxeba contains none, and meant that distribution was limited to premises licensed to show pornography, resulting in the film's removal from all South African cinemas.[14][21][22] The Democratic Alliance criticised the decision of the Appeal Tribunal, characterising it as "nothing short of censorship" by "patriarchs and homophobes".[23] FPB classifiers themselves have concluded that the Appeal Tribunal's rating amounted to unlawful censorship based on homophobia.[22][24]

Urucu Media, the producers of Inxeba, and the SA Screen Federation intended to challenge the film's X18 rating in court, on the basis that they were denied an opportunity to make representation to the Tribunal, and that the Appeal Tribunal's decision is incompatible with the principles of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa.[22][24]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Wound (2017)". en.unifrance.org. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  2. ^ "The Wound". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Inxeba". The Numbers. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Inxeba cast members moved to safe house amidst security threats". Retrieved 21 October 2017.
  5. ^ Emmanuel Tjiya (30 January 2018). "'Inxeba' (The Wound) film review". SowetanLIVE. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  6. ^ "The Wound". Torino Film Lab. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  7. ^ "Sundance 2017 Announces Competition and NEXT Lineups, Including Returning Favorites and Major Contenders". Indiewire. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  8. ^ "Berlinale Panorama 2017: The Wound Selected to Open Panorama's Main Programme / Focus on "Black Worlds" and "Europa Europa"". Berlinale. 20 December 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "The Wound". cinema.co.il. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  10. ^ "Xhosa initiation film Inxeba (The Wound) selected as South Africa's Oscars bid". Channel24. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  11. ^ Vourlias, Christopher (1 October 2017). "South Africa Enters 'The Wound' in Foreign-Language Oscar Race". Variety. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  12. ^ Pond, Steve (14 December 2017). "Oscars Foreign Language Shortlist Includes 'The Square,' 'A Fantastic Woman'". The Wrap. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Real Talk with Anele Season 3 Episode 103 - Lynn Forbes & Nakhane", Real Talk With Anele
  14. ^ a b "Inxeba The Wound Given X Rating". The Callsheet. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  15. ^ Sobczynski, Peter. "The Wound Movie Review & Film Summary (2017) - Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  16. ^ a b c d Mabasa, Nkateko (9 February 2018). "Inxeba: Wounding the Pride and Prejudice of Xhosa men?". The Daily Maverick. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  17. ^ "Interview: John Trengove and Nakhane Touré talk The Wound". FilmDoo. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  18. ^ a b Roets, Adriaan (19 February 2018). "Inxeba shows how far African storytelling still has to go". The Citizen. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  19. ^ "John Trengove's latest film, The Wound, premiers in Berlin", SABC Digital News
  20. ^ a b "Prince Abongile Ngozi on the backlash towards the movie Inxeba", SABC Digital News
  21. ^ Levitt, Jessica (14 February 2018). "Inxeba gets same classification as hardcore porn, pulled from movie houses". Times Live. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |dead-url= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ a b c Dlwati, Vukile (18 February 2018). "The Wound filmmakers to fight film's X18 reclassification". Channel24. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  23. ^ "Inxeba X18 rating is nothing short of censorship". 14 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  24. ^ a b "Inxeba producers to fight pornography classification". MyBroadband. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
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