South Africa is one of the most violent countries in the world. In the poor neighbourhoods, violence is met with resignation, in the richer areas with remote-control fences and private security. The opening scene of Tsotsi provides a harsh illustration of the inevitable nature of that violence, as we see how a group of young criminals murder an old man in a Metro train for some money he won’t give them. We only know the chilling murderer by his nickname, Tsotsi, which means something like ‘scum’ in the street jargon of the townships around Johannesburg. A little later, after a bloody barroom brawl with his mates, Tsotsi steals a car from affluent blacks only to discover that there’s a baby lying on the back seat. He soon realises he is not the right person to look after the little baby and forces a young mother from the neighbourhood to bring up the child. This marks the beginning of increasing alienation between Tsotsi and his friends and a stirring of insights and desires for another life. New confrontations are inevitable in his attempts to make up for things. Hood used a soundtrack filled with stirring South African Kwaito music and dynamic camerawork to make a gripping drama. The authenticity of the locations, the beautiful wide-screen camera and above all the intensity of the actor Chweneyagae contributed to making Tsotsi the audience favourite at the film festivals of Edinburgh and Toronto. (GT)
