Tsotsi
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Tsotsi is a 2005 Academy Award-winning film directed by Gavin Hood and set in South Africa (specifically Soweto, near Johannesburg). It is based on a novel of the same name by Athol Fugard. The soundtrack features Kwaito music performed by the popular South African artist Zola as well as a score by Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring the voice of legendary South African protest singer/poet Vusi Mahlasela.
Plot summary
The film centres on the life of a young Johannesburg small time gang leader named Tsotsi – a colloquial term roughly meaning "thug" in Tsotsitaal (= "thug lingo"), the township patois in which the movie is filmed. As a child he ran away from home due to an abusive father and sick mother and has grown up in the slums of Soweto.Tsotsi is set on the road to redemption when he hijacks a car one night, only to later find a baby on the back seat. He makes the decision to care for the baby himself, causing his gangster exterior to slowly fade away as he learns about empathy and compassion.
Awards
In 2005, Gavin Hood was nominated for the Screen International Award at the European Film Awards for his work on the movie. It also received a nomination for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006.It won the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards.
Cast
- Presley Chweneyagae - Tsotsi
- Mothusi Magano - Boston
- Israel Makoe - Tsotsi's father
- Percy Matsemela - Sergeant Zuma
- Jerry Mofokeng - Morris
- Benny Moshe - Young Tsotsi
- Nambitha Mpumlwana - Pumla Dube
- Zenzo Ngqobe - Butcher
- Kenneth Nkosi - Aap
- Thembi Nyandeni - Soekie
- Terry Pheto - Miriam
- Ian Roberts - Captain Smit
- Rapulana Seiphemo - John Dube
- Owen Sejake - Gumboot Dlamini
- Zola - Fela
External links
- [Official site]
- [Channel 4 interview with actor/kwaito star, Zola]
- [Soundtrack at Milan Records]
- [Interview with Tsotsi composers Paul Hepker and Mark Kilian]
- [Review by Markus Scheuermaier from Harvard University]
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