The South African film, Barakat, has been announced as the country’s official entry for next year’s Oscar film race in America.
The Film & Video Foundation has selected Amy Jephta’s international award-winning movie to represent South Africa in the Best International Feature category at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles in late March 2022.
Barakat follows a Muslim widow from the Cape Flats, Vinette Ebrahim, as she tries to bring together her fractured family over Eid-al-Fitr to break the news of her new romance.
Her four sons are, however, struggling to come to terms with the death of their father.
The film is told in Afrikaaps, a Cape dialect of the Afrikaans language. Barakat means Blessings in English.
The cast features Vinette Ebrahim, Quanita Adams, Mortimer Williams and June van Merch, among others.
Best Narrative
In 2020, Barakat won Best Narrative at the 23rd Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Festival in America.
Twenty pictures from around the world have been showcased this year at the influential festival for women of Colour.
The creators said the film, directed by Amy Jephta, celebrates the life and culture of the Cape Flats.
Jephta said the movie challenges preconceived narratives of the Flats and Coloured communities of the Mother City.
She said it takes away the focus from the violence, crime and drugs in the area and celebrates life, culture and family life.
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