Sew The Winter To My Skin | Review Khanya k
– Rotten Tomatoes
Genre Adventure, Action
Original Language Afrikaans
Director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka
Writer Jahmil X.T. Qubeka
Runtime 1h 58m
Director Jahmil X.T Qubeka, much like A Quiet Place directs the story of John Kepe with little to no dialogue. A white, liberal journalist recounts and takes us through the chase and trial of the “Native Robinhood”. He also captures the audience with a black liberal hero of the 1950’s John Kepe, who was a threat to the colonial farming community.
Jahmil X.T Qubeka portrays the chase and trial of John Kepe astoundingly well. The narrative and choice of events captivates and thrills the viewer for what predominantly makes the entirety of the movie.
John Kepe, popularly known as the Samson of the Borschberg, according to Screen Africa
SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE:
John Kepe is known as an infamous thief that resided at Eastern Cape in the 1950s. It was a success for the criminal mastermind to live his life undetected in the Borschberg caves for over a decade. The infamous thief collected stolen items which included over a hundred sheep, cooking utensils and clothes. These collectives were redistributed to the poor black and colored community of Somerset East. Kepe’s legacy still haunts the slopes of the Borschberg Mountains.
The film starring Zolisa Xaluva, Brenda Ngxoli, Mandisa Nduna, Bongile Mantsai as well as Ezra Mabengeza who plays John Kepe carried the entire film solely on their wordless performances. Shooting and directing a film without dialogue is an interesting way to fully experience and watch an actor or an actress’ true talent. Every creation from the film boils down to gestures, facial expressions and emotions.
On the other hand, Sew the Winter to My Skin vaguely covered some incidents John Kepe was involved in. It exposed that the effect of John Kepe in leaving the film to almost feeling incomplete or not as fulfilling as it could have been. The film has no dialogue. This adds to the “could’ve” feeling. We could have learned more about John Kepe. The possibilities of understanding his unfortunate relation with the colonial government of the 1950’s became concealed. The audience could have heard his side of the story. Someone described the film’s visual aesthetic as strong. They however felt Sew the Winter to my Skin not as impactful as the man whose myth it is telling.
With precise analysis, the film’s aesthetics are impeccable. It is a well shot film that covers and portrays Somerset East and the rest of the Eastern Cape in a colorful and vast manner. The wardrobe, sets, color and actors were carefully chosen and curated. It is clear that a huge deal of work went into even the finest details in each scene. Without dialogue, Qubeka still managed to fill a scene with thrill. He also succeeded in captivating the viewer until the end through music, tone as well as Ezra Mabengeza’s highly physical and expressive performance.
Every scene is carefully framed and colored to match the color scheme, tone and pace of the entire film. That approach allows the deliverance of captivating moments each time.
Overall, Sew the Winter to My Skin is a must watch as well as a great representation of the growing film industry in South Africa.