Review
South Africa – Peccadillo Pictures (UK release 23 January 2012)
In a township outside of Johannesburg lives Chanda (Khomotso Manyaka), a young, self-possesed girl who must shoulder the responsibility of looking after the children of her no-good, drug-addicted stepfather while her mother, Lillian (Lerato Mvelase), mourns the loss of her newborn baby, Sarah. To make matters worse, Lillian’s health is failing, which draws the suspicion and intrusive action of friends and neighbours. On top of all this Chanda tries to sustain her friendship with a poor, outcast young girl, Esther (Keaobaka Makanyane).
Dedicated to the shockingly high number of AIDS orphans in South Africa, director Oliver Schmitz’s film is unflinching in its telling of the story of one such affected family. Though it is long into the running time before anyone mentions AIDS (references to the illness include ‘bug’ or ‘demon’), it’s clear it is this which motivates Lillian’s sister and friends to such fear-induced measures as having her exiled. Chanda, meanwhile, is fed lies and asked to maintain the status quo of her home while her mother rests.
The side story, which sees Esther prostitute herself to survive, is similarly unflinching and intensifies the worry you feel for the steadfast Chanda, who takes her in against the wishes of her curtain-twitching, supposedly helpful neighbour.
Manyaka is fiercely convincing as a young girl defiantly pursuing what she believes to be right in a terrifying, impossible situation. As the story goes on you can see the tiredness in her eyes, yet she never ceases to fight the hypocrisy, traditions and superstitions of her community and ultimately for the right to care for her mother. Hers is an intelligent, soulful performance and the viewer goes on an exhausting journey with her.
Life, Above All then is a hard slog, but rewarding and thankfully – surprisingly – never sugar-coated. The only inauthentic note it sounds is in the last, almost magic-realist scene, which seems too unlikely given what has come just immediately before it. But perhaps it would have all been too much without that last suggestion of hope.
Life, Above All is available now on DVD. Buy a copy on Amazon UK
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