Wound
A dark and stirring variation on the standard coming-of-age narrative that...does not follow the path one might expect.
The Wound
Brimming with sex and violence, John Trengove’s award-winning debut feature is an exploration of tradition and sexuality set amid South Africa’s Xhosa culture. Every year, the tribe’s young men are brought to the mountains of the Eastern Cape to participate in an ancient coming-of-age ritual. Xolani, a quiet and sensitive factory worker (played by openly gay musician Nakhane Touré), is assigned to guide Kwanda, a city boy from Johannesburg sent by his father to be toughened up, through this rite of passage. As Kwanda defiantly negotiates his queer identity within this macho environment, he quickly recognizes the nature of Xolani’s relationship with fellow guide Vija. The three men commence a dangerous dance with each other and their own desires and, soon, the threat of exposure elevates the tension to breaking point.
Genre
Drama,
LGBT,
Festival Favorite
Runtime
88
Language
Xhosa,
Afrikaans,
English
Director
John Trengove
Cast
Nakhane Touré,
Bongile Mantsai,
Niza Jay
Awards:
Nominee, Teddy Award ~ Best Feature Film, Berlin International Film Festival
Nominee, Grand Jury Prize ~ World Cinema Dramatic, Sundance Film Festival
FEATURED REVIEW
Mike D'Angelo, AV Club
What sort of wound is at the heart of 'The Wound,' South African filmmaker John Trengove’s debut feature? Is it fundamentally metaphorical—an emotional wound, or perhaps a psychic wound? Probably, for those who want to dig a bit, but it’s not as if there isn’t plenty of mangled flesh right on the ...
Played at
Monica Film Center 9.08.17 - 9.14.17
Playhouse 7 1.13.18 - 1.21.18
Royal 1.13.18 - 1.21.18
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