Masiphumelele (2024)

• social
• political

Logline

Masiphumelele explores the history of an informal settlement established in the early 1980s and the present-day work of the youth in the community to document its culture and identity through photography and writing.

Plot Summary

Masiphumelele explores the story of an informal settlement established in the early 1980s by a group of 400-500 black people in what was once an uninhabited bush. Guided by Zintle, a resident of Masiphumelele, the film documents her efforts in the community through the Ikamva Youth project. The project, which hosts photography and writing workshops aimed at members of the youth in the community, enables the self-preservation and autoethnography of the community, through the honest, personal, and tangible experiences of people from Masiphumelele. The documentary aims to deconstruct the narratives held about informal settlements and explore the complexities of African history and identity. Masiphumelele, which translates to ‘we will succeed’ in isXhosa is a means of remembering history, through an inspirational story rooted in the pride and power of the people that call Masiphumelele home.