Thina Sobabili is a Zulu phrase meaning “You and I or the two of us”, it also happens to be the name of the most thought provoking film our country has ever produced in recent years. South Africa has produced some of the most impressive movies from the African continent. It is fair to note that some of these movies weren’t a fair reflection of real life stories of the majority of Mzansi, I don’t mean to bash but when you watch movies that always have some sort of fairytale happy ending you feel kind of cheated because this is not the case of the township stories, which are the majority of urban black living measure.
Thina Sobabili the movie is based on 2 teenage shack dwelling siblings, who grew up without their mother and father. Thulas played by Emmanual Nkosinathi Gweva, the lead male character is the older brother of Zanele played by Busisiwe Mtshali, the lead female character; a township high school girl going through a normal adolescent phase. Thulas; is a angry young man in his late teens, caught up in the life of crime in efforts to fend for his sister, battling to ensure that she doesn’t fall into the life of sugar daddies and prostitution.
As far as sibling rivalries go, we know brothers and sisters will jump down each other’s throats every chance they get and this is such in the scenarios as a result of peer pressure from a friend of Zanele that Thulas cannot stand, because of her unscrupulous reputation in the hood.
Without giving away too much, this film is one that addresses relevant social ills, which are silently destroying underprivileged youth; from child headed families, women abuse, sugar daddies and crime.
The who’s who of the South African media industry packed up the cinema at the Ster-Kinekor at the Zone in Rosebank last night, and as emotionally charged scenes broke, you could feel the sighs that the Director and co-founder of the Monarchy Group Ernest “Easy” Nkosi deliberately created in a whispering silence from all over the packed theatre house.
The premiere was hosted by producer, cast member and comedian Mpho popps, who also is a co-founder at Monarchy, funny guy indeed. He had us in stitches but when it came down to the Q&A about what this film seeks to address, he was downright clear on the issues that continue to riddle our townships and rural areas and he emphasized that the movie intends to educate the youth on “choices they make”.
The Monarchy group has made many a educational movies before Thina Sobabili but, it is without a shadow of doubt in my mind that this is their big break, it’s touching, it’s relevant and it’s hard hitting and more so it is for the youth by the youth. South Africa as a nation needs to start these conversations and I do urge all my brothers and sisters to go watch this movie when it comes out in cinemas nationwide 31st July 2015 across all cinemas.
What a stellar performance from a cast that hasn’t necessarily done movies of this calibre, if you think I’m riding then, please believe this film won the audience choice award in the Pan African Film Festival in LA earlier this year and they won a similar award back home at the Jozi Film Festival. The people have spoken. It gets a raving 9/10 from me, you go watch and let us know what think.
Follow them on social network: Thina Sobabili on Facebook / @Thina_Sobabili_Movie on Instagram .
To tweet about the film hash tag #ThinaSobabili
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv0y8n0Pu0E