The Wooden Camera (2003)

Directed by: Ntshaveni Wa Luruli | 92 minutes | drama | Actors: Junior Singo, Dana de Agrella, Innocent Msimango, Lisa Petersen, Nicholas Jara, Lynita Crofford, Nomhlé Nkyonyeni, Thembi Mtshali, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Fats Bookholane, Bo Petersen, Andre Jacobs

South African filmmaker Ntshavheni Wa Luruli (1955) has a natural feel for the camera. None other than Milos Forman (‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’, 1975) got this great talent under his wing. His years at Columbia University, under the wing of the experienced Forman, have paid off for Wa Luruli. His first film, the comedy ‘Chikin Biznis’ (1998), immediately won him the jury prize at the Hollywood Black Film Festival. ‘The Wooden Camera’ (2003) is his second print. The story about two young black boys in the townships of Cape Town had its world premiere at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam and subsequently made a successful tour of the film houses. At the Berlin Film Festival, Wa Luruli won a Crystal Bear in the 14-plus category and Gordon Spooner’s cinematography was also widely praised.

‘The Wooden Camera’ shows how a split-second decision drastically changes the lives of two young boys and effectively determines their fate. Ever since Magida (Junior Singo) ‘adopted’ the slightly older orphan Sipho (Innocent Msimango) as his brother, the two have been friends for life. When they play at the railroad near the townships, they see a corpse being thrown from the train. In the man’s bag, they find two valuable items: a gun and a video camera. Sipho immediately grabs the gun, while Madiba is fascinated by the camera. Once he knows how the thing works, he films everything he encounters. He even appears to have talent. Sipho, who has always been the bolder of the two, gains a sense of power from his weapon. While Madiga forms an unlikely friendship with the rebellious, white teenage girl Estelle (Dana de Agrella), Sipho hangs out with the gangsters of Cape Town. And where Madiga discovers and develops his talents, his boyfriend becomes a gang leader and sinks further and further into the world of crime and addiction.

Ntshavheni Wa Luruli has made it his specialty to portray the harsh, complex South African reality – from both a white and black perspective – in a light-hearted way. ‘The Wooden Camera’ is basically a children’s film, as the events are told from the point of view of three teenagers. All three have their own problems and all three deal with it in their own way. Most adults are portrayed as stupid, short-sighted and racist. The only exception to this is the music teacher Mr. Shawn, who develops a special bond with two of the three children. Although heavy themes such as racism, poverty and juvenile delinquency are addressed, the film remains lighthearted most of the time. This is partly due to the playful way of filming: for example, we regularly see images that come from Madiba’s camera. This emphasizes that the boy has a real talent for filming.

‘The Wooden Camera’ falls short on some fronts. Although the protagonists – especially Singo and De Agrella – show their best side, the acting is not always as strong. The film is also very predictable in some respects. On the other hand, the beautiful image and camera work makes up for a lot. The realistic character of the film is also impressive. ‘The Wooden Camera’ is strongly reminiscent of ‘Cidade de Deus’ (2002), both thematically and stylistically. Wa Luruli can’t yet match that impressive print by Fernando Meirelles about street gangs in Brazil, but he knows how to put his country on the map in a convincing way. Because although the lives of the three children are central to ‘The Wooden Camera’, it is mainly the beauty and sometimes bizarre (cultural) diversity of South Africa that is put on a pedestal. A sympathetic film that, despite the dramatic events, still leaves a positive feeling.