In Akin Omotoso's Marked, crime becomes the only cure

Mail & Guardian

a day ago

Making their mark: Scenes from the new Netflix series Marked, directed by Akin Omotoso. Picture: Netflix
In about 2006, SABC 1's A Place Called Home was my introduction to Akin Omotoso's sensitive eye for creating drama on screen.
At that time, a few other emerging African filmmakers were also exploring cinematic creativity in shows like Gazlam, Tsha Tsha, Intersexions and Yizo Yizo.
Drawing on his illustrious career, Omotoso returns to the Netflix sphere with the gripping six-part heist series Marked, which is layered with themes of moral dilemma, motherhood and corruption.
The series follows cash-in-transit security guard Babalwa, played by Lerato Mvelase, a woman cornered by circumstances who is fighting to protect what matters most — her daughter's life.
Living with a life-threatening condition, her illness takes a turn for the worse. With no medical aid, no savings and no lifeline in sight, desperation takes hold and what begins with quiet prayers and small loans soon escalates into an uneasy alliance with criminal gangs and desperate church members.
For filmmakers to explore a weighty social topic, the choice of genre is essential. The artistic vehicle to examine such themes could be comedy — or even horror. Omotoso and his team chose the heist genre to explore their misgivings about the South African healthcare system.
'Marked was inspired by a genuine concern. As it stands, there are over 30 000 people on waiting lists for life-saving surgeries. And a lot of them end up passing away without getting any help,' he says.
'The idea of waiting for salvation that never comes is heartbreaking, so we decided to dramatise this and take the audience on a journey.'
Commanding cast and action scenes
In the series, which was shot over a period of three months, Omotoso takes viewers on a thrilling journey with a commanding cast. Some of South Africa's most celebrated screen icons, including Bonko Khoza, Jerry Mofokeng, Mduduzi Mabaso and S'Dumo Mtshali keep audiences on edge of their couches from the first episode.
Alongside casting director Ayanda Sithebe, Omotoso speaks with pride about the ensemble cast which is gracing global screens.
'The cast's ability to bring to life characters that are complex and nuanced, where everyone has a backstory and no one is either an angel or pure evil, was a blessing to witness.'
Instead of the typical male lead most heist shows have, Marked flips the script to give us a female lead.
Exploring universal themes of motherhood, religion and the effects of crime on a community, Omotoso says Mvelase was perfect in the role of Babalwa.
'We see the show through her eyes and Lerato takes us on a roller coaster of emotions as Babalwa wrestles with her decisions and choices. It's amazing to witness.'
The star-studded cast is balanced with the massive explosions, stunts and gunshots scenes synonymous with any heist show. Besides blown up bank vaults and outrageous demands, Marked delivers the roar of automatic rifles and toppling of armoured vehicles in broad daylight.
Along with my own star-struck moment — getting to interview one of my favourite African film directors — Omotoso's dream of working with stunt coordinator Oliver Bailey was also fulfilled.
Like any great heist job, Omotoso and Bailey took time to effectively plan and execute shooting the action scenes on the streets of Joburg.
'The major action sequences were shot over a series of weeks and the fight sequences were rehearsed for weeks before we shot. We were incredibly blessed and we look forward to the audience experiencing and enjoying the action.'
Heist genre in South Africa
One can't discuss heist films without mentioning the classics: Heat, Italian Job, Spike Lee's Inside Man and Netflix's popular Money Heist franchise.
Marked adds to the lean examples of the genre in South African film and television, joining the likes of iNumber Number, Big Nunu's Little Heist and Charlie Vundla's How to Steal 2 Million.
Marked's focus on cash-in-transit heists echoes Soon Comes Night — a series based on real events, following fictional freedom-fighter-turned-heist-king Alex Shabane.
'As a team, we immersed ourselves in the heist genre by watching 60 heist films.
'We were inspired by the story we wanted to tell, so we wanted to honour it every day we worked on it.' Omotoso says.
He adds that it was important for the team to pay homage to the genre — aligned with their own creative perspectives.
'From the wonderful writing team led by Sydney Dire, to the director of photography Fahema Hendricks and the production designer Marna Heunis, and all the departments, we came together to create this story. It was a beautiful process.'
Marked by moral grey zones
Given that South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world, Marked offers local audiences a moral conundrum. I wondered if the series — as entertaining as it is — might inspire those in desperate situations to turn to crime for salvation.
The bottom half of working adults in South Africa earn roughly R12 300 a year, the top 10% earn more than 60 times that at around R780 300, according to the 2022 World Inequality Report. The top 10% in South Africa, it states, earn more than 65% of the total national income and the bottom 50% just 5.3% of the total.
In light of these economic inequalities — and subsequent disproportionate access to critical health services — for some, this might encourage criminal solutions to alleviate financial pressure.
Balalwa and company's choices are a case in point. Like many women across the country, she is trapped by her circumstances, fighting to save her daughter. But as the pressure mounts, the line between right and necessity begins to blur.
Sure, there could have been other ways to raise capital, as witnessed in the first episode when Babalwa asks her wealthy employer to help — but to no avail.
Regarding people in Babalwa's situation, do we excuse criminal acts due their righteous reasoning or do we condemn them?
The series also poses questions about faith. How grounded in faith does one have to be before losing hope and turning to dangerous alternatives? The final episode, for instance, makes us wonder if perhaps we are too impatient in our faith as praying warriors.
With a star-studded cast and talented crew, Omotoso's immaculate cinematic eye delivers a raw and emotionally charged six-part crime drama, taking viewers into a world of moral grey zones and high-stakes schemes, where compelling characters put everything they believe on the line.