Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky) - A possible new beginning for storytelling?

The drought may have come to an exhilarating and heart-warming close when this heart-warming movie finally goes on circuit nationally – depending of course, that the promising careers of these young, gifted actors are not summarily messed up or exploited by the 'you-know-who' clique in South Africa's myriad casting agencies - who appear to have a yen for casting Model C or private school pupils who have 'laanie' accents.

Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky) is the kind of family movie that you may want your kids to see; the kind that gives one confidence and a sense of tangible hope for the future of film production in South Africa generally, and particularly in the creation of stirring children's dramas in South Africa, and also on our beleaguered African Continent – without wanting to dismiss the already compelling and creative depictions by young Anglophone and Francophone actors.

Truth be told, there has never really been any serious endeavour to consciously unearth and train prospective young actors from among the country's rich cultural and social quilt – and including from among the hapless immigrant and refugee communities who reside in South Africa. For the record, most of the local and national sporting codes in the country, vigorously invest in training future sports hopefuls because like this scribe, they realize that nobody lives forever – especially in the much-vaunted but still divided arena of film production in the country.

There are a few sequence flaws such as in the opening scene in which the viewer meets Joy Mbewana (the Mama of the children) in striking close-up, and briskly active in her 'inthelezi' smoke ritual; avidly invoking and exhorting the involvement and the intercession of her Zulu ancestors. During that fleeting, smoke-filled solicitation, we learn of her husband's death; of her illness and of prayer for the success of an impending sale of a special mat to some white priest in the city of Durban. Then in the wink of an eye - with brief shots of her children outside of the hut, we observe her in a state of placid death – so much so, that the viewer is left unaffected and isolated from such a potentially dramatic event in the movie. Another implausible choice is the scene at the beach where villain Michael Gritten (Tony), the taxi driver pimp 'stumbles' on an unwary uThembi and attacks her because we are not let in on how he knew she had split with her friends and run to this hiding place.

However, despite those sequence oversights, there is a great deal of good to celebrate, applaud and even to emulate in Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky) – notwithstanding the superb and superlative prize-winning performances by Sobahle Mkhabase (Thembi) the main, dominant and the emotional axis around which the other actors find their space. Sibonelo Malinga (as her brother, Kwezi) projects confidence in his role as an active rural bumpkin in the drama.

But it is the irascible Tshepang Mohlomi (Chili-Bite), that narrowed-eyed, impish, streetwise and knife-wielding urchin whose infectious and diabolical smile and wit, which will warm the viewers' hearts, and draw audiences to this powerful movie. His believable acting of the street-kid bully, pimp, thief cum-protector and defender of his sub-cultural juvenile kingdom, is dramatic excellence of the nth degree which is underscored by his mastery of the ghetto lingo of 'isicamtu'. Chili-Bite's gang, which consists of the cheating, pipsqueak side-kick Sanele Ndawo (Zozo) and the glue-sniffing (too-fat-to-be-a-street kid) addict, Sizwe Xaba. Then there's the fawning and cringing Siboniso Nkosi (Survivor) and the talkative, ever-hungry Andiswa Mkhize (Mayoyo) – all of whom contribute to a glowing and powerful combination of wonderful acting.

A great cast of young, street vagabonds with a catchy language of survival in an almost uncaring and indifferent society. But for a few good adults: a caring, rural grandmother; an affable priest and a concerned and supportive curio shop owner, most of the adults in the tale 'suck'. They are cruel, callous, conniving and poignantly portray the general character and attitude of most urban South Africans to the growing street kid phenomena.

All these elements, can only point to greater things to come from the likes of Julie Frederikse and her co-writer, Madoda Ncayiyana (who also directed the film); the innovative DV8 and their production partners and veteran and experienced producer Jeremy Nathan, to name but a few of the stalwarts who collaborated in this sterling effort.

Although there were no singular, defining moments of emotional depictions, the excellent sound, the commendable cinematography and panoramic camera work with its captivating landscape scenes – underscored by the plaintive strains of Sazi Dlamini's haunting, melancholic voice and Zulu strains – juxtaposed against the jocund, urban mixture of the penny-whistle - all combine to celebrate an enthralling and believable human drama; one which hopefully, may become a harbinger for many more moving movies about children.

Perhaps Jeremy Nathan and the philanthropic local and international financiers - including the big guns at the National Film and Video Foundation, could combine to reconstruct Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky) into a thrilling 13-part episodic series such as: 'Chili-Bite and the Gang go Rural' etc. Perhaps someday, he and his outfit can be seen reading books. Who knows; the sky is always pregnant with possibilities for the visionaries!

Anyway, great stuff, guys.

Izulu Lami (My Secret Sky) Duration: 97minutes Director: Madoda Ncayiyana Writers: Julie Frederikse and Madoda Ncayiyana Producers: DV8, Jeremy Nathan and Michelle Wheatley Co-Producers: Vuleka, Julie Frederikse and Madoda Ncayiyana Release Date: 21 August, 2009; Sterkinekor, nationwide.