Izulu Lami / My Secret Sky

sunset

When Thembi (10) and her brother Khwezi (8) are left alone in their rural homestead after their mother's death, all they have to remember her by is the traditional Zulu mat that she hoped to enter in a craft competition in the city. The children decide to take the mat to Durban but when they arrive in the city, their troubles escalate. Filmed in eThekweni and based on the experiences of the city's homeless children, Izulu Lami is a heartrending tale of suffering and redemption.

Trailer

Overview

My secret sky follows the journey of two young children as they travel from their rural village to the city after their mother’s death. Thembi aims to fulfill her mothers dream, but it is only when she reaches out to her little brother that she begins to find her own dream. Izulu Lami/My Secret Sky is a new South African feature film, a story of hope about two young children who leave their rural homestead for the city when their mother dies, meeting up with other orphaned children, and ultimately triumphing over adversity through their courage and resilience.

Izulu Lami/My Secret Sky is a authentic African film from South Africa, in Zulu with English subtitles, directed by Madoda Ncayiyana, himself of a Zulu-speaking background and living in one of the country’s biggest African townships of KwaMashu, outside Durban. Izulu Lami/My Secret Sky explores the lives of children living without parents, due to being been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, a phenomenon which is increasingly prevalent in South Africa and throughout the continent.

The film also touches on other African themes, e.g. indigenous arts and crafts, rural-urban migration, tradition and music but it does so through the emotional experiences of the two main characters, 10-year old Thembi and her 8 year old brother Khwezi. Izulu Lami/My Secret Sky touches on issues around child-headed homes, highlighting the challenge the film’s main character faces in being both child and adult, sister and mother, learner and worker for her little brother after they are orphaned. Izulu Lami/My Secret Sky is an uplifting and fresh approach to the lives of orphaned and vulnerable street children.

The film incorporates excellent cinematography with a powerful message and well developed characters and appealing visual imagery, leaving the viewer with a sense of hope. Izulu Lami/My Secret Sky premiered at the opening of the Durban International Film Festival was released in Ster-Kinekor and Nu Metro cinemas throughout South Africa in August with DVD release in late 2009.

Media reviews of the film, Izulu Lami / My Secret Sky, August 2009

“An extraordinary work of great power but also of deep simplicity… Madoda Ncayiyana gives us a vision of the lives of these children that I cannot recall seeing in any other South African-made film. Sobahle Mkhabase is a riveting presence. Her determination, fear, courage and grief when she reaches a point of crisis, leap off the screen. She is spellbinding, and although the other kids do excellent work, she is the backbone, the dramatic and moral focus of the film, and she carries the whole enterprise on her frail shoulders. For no other reason, you should see this film just to see the vivid truth that she brings to this story… The film also looks great. On a tiny budget, the director and his crew have made a well-styled film, structured and detailed… The skill of the director and his performers – and their emotional connection to the subject – produces something profoundly different from Slumdog Millionaire: a compassionate honesty that will stay with you for days.”
Barry Ronge, Sunday Times

“A film so beautiful, so moving, that even the most jaded critic walked out of the theater with red eyes. Everyone had their feet knocked out from under them, because no-one expected this little gem. Izulu Lami is hands down one of the very best, and most heartfelt local films that I have ever seen. It is so realistic that throughout you sit with a lump in your throat. Your heart warms, your emotions get a wake-up call and your humanity is enriched.… The acting is of the highest standard I have seen in a local film this year. The young cast excels and gives sincere performances. Young Sobahle Mkhabase as the main protagonist plays her heart out and inhabits a character with such vigour and conviction that she ceases to be an actress playing the part. She becomes the character. Miss Mkhabase has already started winning acting awards at a very young age, so there is an amazing future awaiting her… Izulu Lami will touch your heart and inspire you like few South African films have ever done. So see it at all costs. It is a precious local jewel.”
Leon van Nierop, Radio Sonder Grense/Leon se Fliekrubriek (translated from Afrikaans)

“This movie, filmed on a small budget, is probably one of the best local films in a long time. It is also the director, and co-writer Madoda Ncayiyana's first feature length film. Julie Frederikse, author of a variety of books and producer of Land of Thirst, was the other writer… What is astounding is that the child-actors are all first time actors. The fact that their acting is so brilliant and natural can be laid at the feet of Ncayiyana who spent a lot of time with the children to help them understand their roles. This is a story that will make you laugh, will make you hold your breath and at times make you sad. The images on screen will stay with you while you digest everything that you have just witnessed. If you only watch one year this year, let it be Izulu Lami.”
Amanda de Lange, Beeld (translated from Afrikaans)

“A new star is born in Sobahle Mkhabase, the lead child star in Izulu Lami. What an amazing talent, what a tear-jerking performance from a novice actress.”
Xolani Shezi, Sowetan

“Beautifully lensed, this is a small film that will warm your heart... after scaring the heck out of you and making you wonder how you'd react in a similar situation. Local director Madoda Ncayiyana has drawn some great natural performances from first-time child actors, and concentrates on telling a story rather than preaching a message. Tshepang Mohlomi as the diminutive street-tough Chili-Bite almost steals the show… There are very few South African films about children to compare this one to, which makes Izulu Lami stand out all the more.”
Theresa Smith, Star

“As the feared streetwise homeless kid Chilli-bite, Tshepang Mohlomi makes this role his own, mastering the lingo and the moves that make his character an integral part of the film. He has earned praise from the best critics in the industry and audiences are sure to love his performance… The film is as real as the situation gets (thanks to the believable characters) and pinpoints the difficulties that these children face. It’s an innocent story of hope, ethics, beliefs and human bonds.”
Mandla Motau, City Press

“A beautifully filmed movie with an uplifting, inspiring story. It’s a simple, refreshing film among a bevy of others which are laden with explosions, fast cars and special effects.”
Terri Dunbar-Curran, Cape Times

Awards

  • Cannes Pan African Film Festival Award for BEST FEATURE FILM, April 2009
  • AUDIENCE and BEST ACTRESS prizes at Tarifa International African Film Festival, Tarifa, Spain, May 2009
  • Awarded the SIGNIS PRIZE FOR BEST FEATURE FILM at Zanzibar International Film Festival, June 2009

Press

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