Daryne Joshua's portrait of life on the mean streets of Cape Town's lawless Cape Flats in the 1960s is as much a paean to the human need for stories-and storytellers-as it is a realistic look at youthful gang behavior. Barely into their teens, Abraham (Austin Rose) and his three friends form a gang, more out of self-preservation than malice. As they grow up, Abraham (now played by an intense Dann-Jaques Mouton) and his gang evolve into petty thieves, and soon he is in prison. It is there that his gift for telling stories protects him from the worst that prison life has to offer. Once he's out, he hopes to get these stories down on paper-if, that is, society allows him a chance...

Based on screenwriter John W. Fredericks' own life, Abraham's story is punctuated by raw violence and desperation, but Joshua's direction also emphasizes hope and humanity. This is powerful stuff, made doubly so by the film's perfect recreation of the '60s period detail and Mouton's riveting performance.

Daryne Joshua – Director