Latest news with #Rhodesia
News24
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News24
Zikhona Bali taps into her great-grandmother's prowess in new film
'It's good to see everyone here, but Africans have eyes to see what the white people can't see.' On the night of her birthday, the entertainment industry came out to watch her star in Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight alongside American-South African actress and director, Embeth Davidtz. Draped in a yellow vintage-inspired dress, Zikhona Bali looked ready to get into her character, Sarah. In the film, Sarah is the black maid who works for the Fuller family on their farm in Zimbabwe, which was Rhodesia at the time. Set towards the end of the Bush War and at the height of political tensions between the white minority and black majority during the country's first free elections, the film captures the events of the time from the eyes of an 8-year-old white girl, Bobo, who finds great companionship from Sarah. Read more | ' Never lose yourself in a relationship because of a man' - Zenande Mfenyana on playing Thumeka Caught in between the two races, Sarah finds herself pushed to take a dignitary stand for her people while remaining loving and loyal to the Fuller family. 'The story is very relatable to everyone. The character of Sarah moved me because I believe there are a lot of Sarahs where we come from. We carry a bit of Sarah in us; my great-grandmother was a reference for me with her characteristics. I tapped a lot into my great-grandmother, who moved so powerfully, but quietly, who had so much resilience, was strong, but yet delicate. She didn't say much, she didn't speak a lot, but when she spoke, it was very deliberate, cutting and wise.' She adds that her great-grandmother would have been immensely proud of her for telling this story. 'I'm happy for you, but are you going to return to school? When are you returning to school? Yeah, but I'm proud of you,' she imitates what she would've said. In not-so-many words, Sarah uttered emotion and wisdom. This put her life at risk of being attacked and ambushed by ZANU and ZAPU political parties, which represented the black majority. Speaking to Drum about why it is important for young people to not only watch the movie but the memoir it is based on by British-Zimbabwean author, Alexandra Fuller, which was published in 2001, Zikhona praises it for how it deals with different themes. Read more | 'I've grown so much' - House of Zwide's Nefisa Mkhabela talks industry lessons 'It deals with a lot of themes, such as loss and love and loss of identity, loss of land. It doesn't only speak to kids. It also speaks to us, grown folks, and it's very relatable. We've been kids before, and we've seen things. We've heard things. We've had our perspective. So the relatable link is that we've also been there. We've also been kids. And what I wish that people can take out of this film is a new or rather different perspective on our history as Africans. 'When I had a meeting with her (Embeth) and she told me about the story and the character, she advised me to read the book, and I read the book, and I sat on the book for a while. It's so difficult to read but very moving too. So it's a human story,' the former Diep City actress shares with Drum. Reflecting on the experience of working with Embeth and the executive producers - Anele Mdoda, Frankie Du Toit and Trevor Noah, she says she loved every minute of it, despite how horrific and sad it was. 'I loved the nuances. I loved being directed by Embers. I loved the intentional visitation from the producers on set. I loved how Embert was so gentle with the story and yet very gentle with us as the past.' The film is officially out in cinemas nationwide from Friday, 25 July 2025.
News24
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News24
Embeth Davidtz's Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is a well-crafted drama
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight dep icts 8-year-old Bobo's life on her family's Rhodesian farm during the Bush War's final stages. It explores the family's bond with Africa's land and the war's impact on the region and people through Bobo's perspective (IMDb). In Embeth Davidtz's Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, we see the final days of white-ruled Zimbabwe through the eyes of a child - literally. There are moments when the camera takes the viewer into 8-year-old Bobo's perspective, with her eyelashes and partially closed eyelids in the frame. Bobo's view of the world is skewed by the racist beliefs she was taught, but she is not as naïve or hateful as one would think. The film, under Davidtz's fine direction, offers a fascinating look at Zimbabwe (or Rhodesia) during a transitional and rocky period, with Bobo's perspective offering revelatory insights. Davidtz, who was born to South African parents, has starred in Matilda, Bicentennial Man and Schindler's List. With Davidtz's Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, she makes her directorial debut at age 59. The film is based on a 2001 memoir by British-Zimbabwean author Alexandra Fuller. The book contains stories from Fuller's childhood, with the Rhodesian Bush War serving as a backdrop. In the film, there are numerous references to this, where Bobo casually watches horrific images from the war on TV and looks slightly unsettled by them. It's clear she's grown used to seeing this type of news coverage daily. The film has an unconventional plot and is more of a continuous string of memories. The viewer understands, almost instinctively, that the time Bobo's family has in Zimbabwe is limited, and there's a constant sense of tension and anxiety bubbling among the adults. The film invites the viewer to be in the present moment with Bobo, instead of predicting where the story is going to go. We watch as the little girl rides a motorcycle and smokes cigarettes, laughs with her cousins outside of a bar, spends time with the family's domestic worker, Sarah, and visits her grandmother. Despite the loose structure, the story is engaging and the 100-minute runtime works in its favour. The energy does, however, lull at certain points, and some scenes are not as interesting as others. Lexi Venter proves herself a gifted child actor and puts on a phenomenal performance as Bobo. There are times when you forget she's acting and not actually living through the final days of pre-Mugabe Zimbabwe. Davidtz shared that they only had three hours with Venter per day and they evidently made the best of it. Her voice-over work is equally strong. The performances from Davidtz, who plays Bobo's mother, and Zikhona Bali, as Sarah, are stellar. Rob van Vuuren, playing Bobo's father, has a few great moments too, even though his screentime is limited. The rest of the cast features more South African actors, including Albert Pretorius, whose brief appearances are truly unnerving (intentionally so). As a director, Davidtz shows a clarity of vision that speaks to her years of experience in the film industry. She has a noticeable and fluid visual style, and some of the creative choices she makes are risky, but they pay off. The editing, credited to Nicholas Costaras, feels choppy at first, but then you adjust to it and it ends up complementing the looseness of the story. The music choices are on point too, including cuts from Roger Whittaker and Chris de Burgh. The scenes are also beautifully shot, and certain frames really highlight the wealth and social disparity between white and black Zimbabwean citizens. However, it does feel like the film doesn't go hard enough on racism and inequality in Zimbabwe and that it's too sympathetic to its white gaze. One way the film critiques the racism of the white characters is by having Bobo explicitly voice stereotypes about black Zimbabweans, like how anyone can be a terrorist. But Bobo's lack of subtlety highlights the absurdity of these stereotypes and how they contrast with the reality of black people. Bobo's instinct is also to be curious, kind and trusting, despite what she's learnt. Though not perfect, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is, by most measures, a rousing success and an impressive debut for Davidtz. In the hands of a lesser director, the execution of the story could have gone awry. It's entertaining, but atypical and really well made. It could even be a worthy contender at next year's Oscars in the international feature film category.
News24
21-07-2025
- Sport
- News24
Oldest living Springbok dies at 96
Des van Jaarsveldt, who was the oldest living Springbok, died at the age of 96 on Monday. In his only Test, Van Jaarsveldt captained the Springboks to an 18-10 victory over Scotland at the Boet Erasmus Stadium in 1960. Van Jaarsveldt was born in Bulawayo and represented Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from 1947-1962. At the time, Rhodesia had competed in South Africa's Currie Cup and their players were eligible to be picked for the Springboks. 5 talking points | Springboks v Georgia: Scoreline flattered the hosts in Mbombela scrap Van Jaarsveldt could play either wing or flank, but played loose forward on the day he captained the Springboks. He was the only Rhodesian to ever captain the Boks. The SA Rugby Legends paid tribute to Van Jaarsveldt following his passing. 'Though he wore the green and gold in just one Test match, as captain, no less, his impact on the game was profound. 'Born in Rhodesia in 1929, Des proudly represented Rhodesia from 1947 to 1962, racking up 62 appearances and a lifetime of rugby memories. He remained involved in the game through coaching and administration and was a cherished friend and supporter of SARLA throughout the years. 'Thank you for the legacy, the leadership, and the love for rugby. Rest peacefully, Des,' the statement read. This morning, we bid farewell to a legend. 💚 Des van Jaarsveldt, the oldest living Springbok and Springbok captain,... Posted by SA Rugby Legends Association on Monday, July 21, 2025
Washington Post
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
The death of colonialism, as seen through a child's eyes
When you come across a role as rich as Nicola Fuller, the mother in 'Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight,' and no one wants to make the movie, you may as well do it yourself. I imagine that was Embeth Davidtz's thinking when the actress decided to step behind the camera for her directorial debut, an acute and atmospheric adaptation of Alexandra Fuller's prizewinning 2001 memoir about the final days of White rule in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. Davidtz is known for playing women of fragility — Helen Hirsch in 'Schindler's List,' Miss Honey in 'Matilda' — but here she bites into the red meat of a deluded matriarch, and the performance is vivid with nerve and steel.
Associated Press
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Movie Review: War, through one child's extraordinary eyes, in 'Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight'
'Are we racists?' That's the blunt question posed by Bobo, a white girl living on a farm in Africa, to her horrified (and defensive) mother. There are so many ways this three-word line reading could land wrongly — or just seem forced or mannered. But it feels thoroughly organic when voiced by Lexi Venter, an extraordinary first-time actor who gives, at age 7, one of the more compelling child performances in recent memory in 'Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight.' It's a performance that was seeded, watered and nurtured by Embeth Davidtz, an extraordinary actor herself who wrote, directed and stars in this adaptation of Alexandra Fuller's admired 2001 memoir. One imagines Davidtz, in her triple role (and as a first-time director), had hundreds upon hundreds of decisions to make. Her most important, though, was finding and casting this youngster possessed of a wild nature, a mop of unruly hair and a face like a broad canvas waiting to be painted. The movie, which chronicles one family's life in the turbulent, waning days of white rule in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia), was not always going to be narrated by a child. Davidtz's first attempt at adapting the memoir, told in third person, was too remote, she herself has said. Then she zoomed in on the idea of telling the tale uniquely from Bobo's perspective. Davidtz, who spent much of her childhood in South Africa, was drawn to the project because it recalled her own experience growing up in a world where racial inequality and violence were everywhere, but none of the adult explanations made much sense. The director's own family life also included, like the Fuller family's, mental illness and alcoholism; she has said that neither the outside world nor home life felt safe. And that's how it is for Bobo, 8 years old when we meet her, the younger of two daughters of Nicola and Tim Fuller. We will soon learn that another daughter died as a toddler in a tragic drowning — one of the reasons Nicola (Davidtz) is so emotionally tied to the family farm, as conveyed in one particularly brutal scene brimming with rage. She may not be native to the land, but her offspring is buried in its soil. We begin with Bobo explaining how she's afraid to go alone to pee in the night. 'Terrorists,' as they've been described by the adults, might lurk anywhere, even on the way to the bathroom, carrying a gun or knife or spear. But imaginary threats are accompanied by real ones. During the day, a trip into town with her mother necessitates an escort vehicle. 'I really hope we don't die in an ambush today,' Bobo says casually to an armed guard. This is a child who helps her Dad pack his ammo at breakfast. The film, shot in South Africa, is set in the days before and after the 1980 parliamentary election — a crucial vote that will bring the Black majority to power in Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe. Visiting her parents' home, Nicola patronizingly instructs their Black servants which candidate to support. At home, Nicola's desperation rages. She drinks bourbon by the bottle and sleeps with a huge gun. She doesn't spend much time with her daughters, which leaves Bobo plenty of time to hang out with the animals, ride her motorbike, and smoke cigarettes. Such habits earn Bobo the disapproval of her most valued friend, Sarah (Zikhona Bali, in a warm and nuanced performance), one of two adult servants who work on the farm. The other is Jacob (Fumani N. Shilubana), who warns Sarah that her relationship with Bobo is too publicly affectionate in these precarious times. Besides, he tells her, Bobo thinks of her as a 'stupid village girl.' But there is real affection between the two. Privately, they laugh and share stories. And Sarah, conscious of the risks, tries to be the attentive parent Bobo lacks. When she catches the girl, messy-haired and smudgy-faced, smoking — at age 7! — she scolds her. 'There's nothing wrong with me, I'm perfect!' Bobo replies, with the self-belief that comes from a childhood spent bossing around people like Sarah. You can direct moments like this, as Davidtz does expertly while somehow turning in a heartbreaking and increasingly unhinged performance of her own. But you can't manufacture lightning in a bottle — for example, the infectious joy Venter exudes, even while family is losing everything, singing a rowdy song about a stripper. Davidtz has said she searched far and wide to find her star, interviewing experienced child actors but not finding the 'feral' girl she needed. A Facebook search yielded Venter. Davidtz knew she was the right before even meeting her in person. Working with the girl three hours a day, she did not give her a script, but rather provided guidance and let her improvise. Nobody's perfect, though Bobo may think she is. But in Venter's performance, Davidtz has found something pretty close: a child actor who can carry an entire film and never seem like she's acting. Bobo's story has now been told; let's hope we see young Venter telling many more. 'Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight,' a Sony Pictures Classics release, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association 'for violent/bloody images, language, sexual assault, and some underage smoking/drinking.' Running time: 98 minutes. Three stars out of four.
