Oscar-worthy African films streaming on Showmax

Awards season is here and celebrities are getting red carpet-ready as ceremonies take place around the globe. While the Academy Awards, the 94th instalment of which will take place on 27 March 2022, are the gold standard when it comes to film, they aren’t the be all and end all. Africa has had many gems, good enough to compete for official selection at the Academy Awards. Here are several official Oscar entries for Best International Feature that deserve more awards and greater recognition.

Moffie (2019)

Oliver Hermanus is a bold filmmaker, whose latest vision saw him collaborate with Eric Abraham, the producer of Oscar-winning films Ida and Kolya. Following a gay conscript’s nightmarish induction into the SANDF in 1981, this intense yet poetic psychological drama has visceral staying power. Starring Kai Luke Brummer and Hilton Pelser, the offensive Afrikaans word “moffie” is reclaimed to some extent by this powerful film that echoes Full Metal Jacket.

Currently in the selection process for Best International Feature at the Oscars in 2022, this is a strong contender. While it may be a challenging viewing experience based on extreme prejudice and raw violence, it’s equally mesmerising with solid performances and by way of transportative filmmaking.

This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection (2020)

Mary Twala may be gone but her swansong performance will endure in one of the best films to come out of Africa. Her storied face compels this moody drama about an 80-year-old woman who stands up to dam developers in Lesotho who threaten to uproot her rural community and steal her ancestral burial ground.

Written and directed by self-trained filmmaker Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, this unconventional drama grapples with powerful and timely African themes via Mosese’s fresh approach to storytelling. Faint echoes of David Lynch and Robert Eggers give this artful and textured drama a haunting uneasiness. Beautifully photographed, the visual poetry essentially deconstructs a funeral in terms of inheritance, legacy, mortality and religion.

Toorbos (2018)

Toorbos or Dream Forest is based on Dalene Matthee’s novel as adapted to screen by writer-director Rene van Rooyen. In a rags-to-riches tale, a young woman from an impoverished forest community is swept up by a dapper gent who wants her to shed her “bosmens” past at finishing school in order to fit in with the demands of high society.

Compared with The Grapes of Wrath, the coming-of-age romance drama and psychological character portrait also has touches of My Fair Lady and Atonement. Starring Elani Dekker and Stiaan Smith, whose natural charms and chemistry work wonders, there’s a haunting and poetic mood to this lush, stirring and immersive film about personal freedom and staying true to oneself. 

Knuckle City (2018)

Some films pack a punch. Knuckle City is a knockout. This electrifying boxing drama comes from the mind of Jahmil XT Qubeka (Sew the Winter to My Skin) and captures glimpses of his hometown. In Mdantsane, East London, the stomping ground of some of South Africa’s greatest boxing champions, we’re introduced to a professional boxer and his career-criminal brother.

Starring Bongile Mantsai, Thembikile Komani and Owen Sejake, this intense and relentless crime drama thriller features full-tilt performances, vivid cinematography and an in-your-face spirit. Dark, furious, gritty and entertaining, this gut-busting saga portrays the daily struggle of rising up in the city’s cutthroat boxing circuit.

I Am Not A Witch (2017)

Set in Zambia, I Am Not a Witch journeys with a nine-year-old girl after her reputation as a purveyor of “bad luck” provokes villagers into accusing her of being a witch. The young Maggie Mulubwa, a sweet and innocent actor, grounds strange happenings through her earnest performance.

Written and directed by Rungano Nyoni, this curious and edgy drama blurs fact and fiction to the point of becoming a mockumentary. The issues are serious, yet I Am Not A Witch twists convention by poking fun at outdated groupthink, gender politics and ridiculous accusations. Potent, poetic and lively, it makes some thoughtful statements by way of powerful visuals in its exploration of real “witch” camps and communal accusations.

The Wound: Inxeba (2017)

One of South Africa’s most well-known Oscar submissions, The Wound garnered many awards worldwide, but was criticised back home for its purported revelation of sacred mountain secrets. It’s centred on Xolani, a lonely factory worker who joins a group of boys in an initiation into manhood.

Directed by and based on a story by John Trengrove, The Wound barnstormed the SAFTAs, winning six awards from eight nominations. Acknowledging Trengrove’s sensitive direction and Nakhane Touré’s bold performance, this beautifully realised coming-of-age docudrama is both informative and compelling. Swathing us in Xolani’s world, the artful and graceful drama operates with nuance, balancing its genre mix of documentary and drama with restraint.

Noem My Skollie (2016)

Loosely based on John W Fredericks’s life, Noem My Skollie (Call Me Thief) recounts the story of Abraham and a small-time gang who were split up by a prison sentence. This is a directorial debut for Daryne Joshua, who’s also known for the heart-wrenching biographical drama Ellen: Die Storie van Ellen Pakkies. Noem My Skollie is beautifully composed, full of earnest performances that help conjure up the taut atmosphere and gritty prison drama.

The charming Dann Jaques Mouton as an older Abraham leads a strong ensemble with a truly intimidating turn from David Manuel as “Gums”. An authentic and honest crime drama, this passion project is detail-oriented in its mis-en-scene, reminiscent of City of God in its sweeping multi-generational storytelling.