The Station Strangler (2023)

The latest true-crime feature documentary from IdeaCandy (Tracking Thabo Bester, Devilsdorp), The Station Strangler investigates the serial killer who is believed to have killed 21 young boys and one adult from the late 80s to the mid-90s on the Cape Flats.

Norman Simons, a school teacher, was arrested but only convicted of one of the murders. Twenty-eight years after his imprisonment, Simons was released on parole, opening up fresh wounds in a community where justice has been denied for too long.

The Station Strangler features interviews with family members of the victims, lead investigator JD Kotze, serial killer profiler Micki Pistorius, and Dr Allan Boesak, among others.  

Director Nadine Cloete won the Audience Award at Encounters for Action Kommandant, while her short Address Unknown won the SAFTA for Best Short Film. 

Sunday Times calls The Station Strangler “chilling”, adding: “Cloete is a formidable force in South African filmmaking, known for her fearless explorations of the country’s most poignant and untold stories … With The Station Strangler, she continues to challenge and redefine documentary filmmaking … infusing the documentary with a depth of empathy and meticulous storytelling.”