THE SWENKAS
Südafrika / Dänemark 2004 – Director: Jeppe Rønde – Original language: English, Zulu – Subtitles: English – Length: 72 min.
Every Saturday night in post-apartheid South Africa, a group of 18 working-class Zulu men called "the Swenkas”" don their flashiest designer suits by Pierre Cardin or Carducci and travel to Johannesburg to take part in a competition for the title of 'most stylish'. This "swanking ritual" celebrates tidiness, honour and self-respect and the Swenkas stand out as real heroes in the townships of Johannesburg. In a bare basement called "The Hall", they try to impress the judges with graceful movements and striking poses. The evening's prize: a watch, a pot of money or, on special occasions like Christmas, a cow.
The second part of the trilogy "Faith, Hope & Love" (after Jerusalem, My Love), The Swenkas is divided into four chapters focusing on 31-year-old Sabelo, the youngest Swenka, who is at a turning point in his life. Not only is he about to get married, he is also expected, due to the death of his father, to take on the difficult legacy of becoming the new leader of the Swenkas. What is unusual about this documentary is that Danish director Jeppe Ronde introduces a fictional narrator, an aging Zulu vagabond, who comments on the events, adding a mythical dimension to the story. A lyrical portrait of people celebrating the virtues of beauty and dignity.
Award: Best Danish Documentary Feature
Writer: Jeppe Rønde, Kim Leona. Camera: Lars Skree, Sebastian Winterø, Nic Hofmeyr. Sound: Rune Palving. Editing: Olivier Bugge Coutté. Music: Poul Kristian. Production: Cosmo Film Production. Producer: Rasmus Thorsen, Anne Diemer. International Sales: First Hand Films.
