Officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences as the body to represent South Africa, the NFVF makes the submission on behalf of the South African film industry.
Little One (Vuyelwa Msimang) tells a story of a 6 year old girl who is found left for dead on the dunes near a township in Johannesburg. She is found by a middle aged woman, Pauline (Lindiwe Ndlovu), who rushes her to hospital. Saving her life, it transpires that the little girl has been raped and her face beaten in so badly that she doesn't even look human anymore. The story then follows Pauline's journey as she becomes actively involved with the child's case, from going to the extreme of kidnapping the girl from the hospital after her unsuccessful attempt to adopt her, to conducting her own investigation into what happened to the little girl. Little One is basically a story about the lives of ordinary people trying to get through each day. As tough and harrowing as it is, it is ultimately a tale of love and redemption and hope. The film also stars Mutodi Nesheshe (Detective Morena).
"Darrell Roodt's film 'Little One' is a poignant, moving, and minimalist narrative which is unapologetically South African. It is a universal story made local, with brilliant performances," says the South African Academy Award Selection Committee.
"Filming Little One gave me goose bumps everyday, a rare experience trust me. The raw human emotion that poured out of Lindiwe and the other actors was a joy and privilege to film. The film is a testament to them and the tiny band of filmmakers that made the film possible. I hope it does South Africa proud," says Roodt who also produced the 2005 Oscar nominated film Yesterday.
The Oscars Academy Award Selection Committee will make the final selection of the nominees in January next year. If selected, Little One will join the list of other South African films that contested at the Oscars in previous years which include Oscar award-winning Tsotsi (2006) and Oscar nominated Yesterday (2005).
The NFVF and the South African Academy Awards Selection Committee wishes the team behind the film best of luck.
For more information, contact Naomi Mokhele.
