Mapantsula

This South African classic tells the story of Panic, a petty criminal who gets drawn into the anti-apartheid struggle and must choose between his own personal gain and standing united against the oppressive system.

As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of democracy in South Africa this year, it is difficult to overlook one of the greatest anti-apartheid films of the period. With rebellion against the regime in focus, the director took the brilliant step of conveying the protest and struggle through the language and conventions of genre film. 

Censorship was extreme during the period, but Schmitz and co-writer Thomas Mogotlane created the story of the petty criminal Panic, who understands how everything in society is connected. However, he quickly becomes entangled in the authorities' calculated web and is forced to betray the revolutionaries' fight for freedom and change. We are joined by director Oliver Schmitz on Zoom to tell us more about the film and the historical context in which it was made.

Lasse Skagen

Screen Africa

This film is programmed by guest curator Mosa Mpetha. Mosa is the co-founder of Black Cinema Project.

Director

Oliver Schmitz is an award-winning South African filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with Mapantsula in 1988 and has since directed several feature films and TV series.