MILISUTHANDO Documentary

Screening to be followed by a conversation with director Milisuthando Bongela.

A poetic interweaving of archival material and in-depth interviews, Milisuthando Bongela’s incisive personal essay examines identity construction through a historical lens, investigating the impact of racism and colonialism on herself and her loved ones. Born in South Africa’s Transkei region, an unrecognized state purportedly protected from its apartheid system, Bongela was raised in an entirely Black community and would only learn about apartheid, Blackness and whiteness after reintegration. Determined to reckon with the realization that she was born “inside apartheid’s wish,” she conducts a series of difficult interviews with family and friends – both Black and white – questioning their personal narratives surrounding race. In revisiting complex, confusing and often painful memories, she confronts and challenges inconsistencies, leans into below-the-surface tensions and navigates monumental questions with a profound sense of empathy, intelligence and sensitivity. –Malin Kan