The Encounters Documentary Film Festival takes place from 5 to 15 June at the Labia Theatre and the V&A NuMetro Cinema in Cape Town as well as the Bioscope Independent Cinema in Johannesburg.
The festival features an engaging line-up of documentaries, including 24 South African and African films, as well as 21 international films and a number of master classes and informative sessions.
South African films
Miners Shot Down
An account of the Marikana massacre, which involved South African police shooting and killing 34 striking miners at the Lonmin platinum mine.
Directed by: Rehad Desai
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28UP
A cross-section of South Africa’s youth discuss their lives, hopes and dreams at age seven, 14, 21 and now as 28-year-old adults.
Directed by: Angus Gibson
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Behind The Lens
A film about South African photographers who worked during the Struggle in the 1980s. Benny Gool, Gille de Vlieg, Guy Tillim, Paul Weinberg, Peter Magubane, Rashid Lombard, Tony Weaver, and Zubeida Vallie.
Directed by: Liz Fish
Crumbs – Toppling the Bread Cartel
The story of Imraahn Mukkadam, who blew the whistle on bread price-fixing in the Western Cape in 2006.
Directed by: Dante Greeff and Richard Finn Gregory
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Diaries of a Dissident Poet
A profile of James Matthews, whose book of poetry, Cry Rage, became the first to be banned in South Africa.
Directed by: Shelley Barry
Spring Queen
On the night of the Spring Queen Pageant, Cape Town’s clothing and textile factory workers are given the chance to be Cinderella for a night.
Directed by: Paul Yule
I, Afrikaner
Four generations of an Afrikaner family hold on to their identity in an increasingly unrecognisable country.
Directed by: Annalet Steenkamp
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Unearthed
The story of how a woman becomes an anti-fracking activist after an investigation sees her travelling across the globe in search of answers.
Directed by: Jolyn Minnaar
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Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and The New South Africa
The life of award-winning author and former Constitutional Court judge Albie Sachs, who incurred severe injuries when South African security agents blew up his car in Mozambique in 1988.
Directed by: Abby Ginzberg
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Outsider
The story of Beezy Bailey, a South African artist and provocateur.
Directed by: Sean Drummond, Paulene Abrey
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The Vula Connection
The untold story of the ANC’s ingenious communications system during Apartheid.
Directed by: Marion Edmunds
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1994 – The Bloody Miracle
The story of how South Africa very nearly came to a civil war.
Directed by: Meg Rickards and Bert Haitsma
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Films with an African focus
The Square
The ongoing rollercoaster of the Egyptian revolution is explored in this Oscar nominated film which won the audience award at Sundance and Toronto.
Directed by: Jehane Noujaim
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Big Men
A fast-paced look at the high-powered world of African oil deals.
Directed by: Rachel Boynton
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Finding Fela
A politically-charged documentary about Nigerian musician, Fela Kuti, and the 2009 Broadway musical Fela!
Directed by: Alex Gibney
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I Love Kuduro
A look into the Angolan musical and dance culture phenomenon taking the continent by storm.
Directed by: Mario Patrocinio
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National Diploma
The story of a group of students in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who are expelled after failing to pay their teachers unofficial bonuses.
Directed by: Dieudo Hamadi
Coach Zoran and His African Tigers
The story of an eccentric Serbian who coaches the national soccer team in the world’s youngest country, South Sudan.
Director: Sam Benstead
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The Iranian Film
The challenges of filmmaking anywhere in the world are exposed when a Moroccan man, who is passionate about cinema, tries to make his graduation film in Iran.
Directed by: Yassine el Idrissi
Jumping Into Life
The story of an inspirational performing arts school in Kenya, aimed at over 80 000 youths living and working on the streets of Nairobi.
Directed by: Young people from the same social background
Visit the Encounters website for more information.
