LOGLINE
Set in past, present, and future South Africa — an invitation into a poetic, memory-driven exploration of love, intimacy, race, and belonging by the filmmaker, who grew up during apartheid but didn't know it was happening until it was over.
SYNOPSIS
MILISUTHANDO is a portrait of me and South Africa,
growing up together in the aftermath of apartheid.
The moment one realizes they are black in the world is always traumatic.
This film is the scenic route of my coming down from that moment.
In it, I am tracing who I was before I entered the white world,
who I became when I was inside it, and finally,
what kind of human being can I be outside of its bounds?
Throughout, I am exploring whether it is possible to live out the meaning of my name,
Milisuthando (bearer of love where there is none),
in a society where the laws have changed
but people’s hearts remain locked in racial conditioning.
The film takes place in Three Universes.
Over three decades.
Exploring three selves.
Driven by my exploratory narrative voice and
a compelling cast of my family, friends, foes,
and some historical figures,
the film braids these universes across time
in a non-linear manner, meditating on difficult questions
about power, fear, love and unrequited grace”.
UNITED STATES
Anthology Film Archives, 16 - 22 May
32 Second Avenue (at 2nd St.) New York, NY 10003 USA
Friday 16 May - 7.30 pm
Saturday 17 May - 4.30 pm
Sunday 18 May - 4.30 pm, 7.30 pm
Monday 19 May - 7.30 pm
Tuesday 20 May - 7.30 pm
Wednesday 21 May - 7.30 pm
Thursday 22 May - 7.30 pm
New York African Film Festival, Presented by Africa is A Country, Sunday 18 May, 3.30 pm at The Maysles in Harlem, New York
AUSTRALIA
South African Film Festival, 11 - 31 May 2025
Milisuthando Bongela
PRODUCED BY
Marion Isaacs
Milisuthando Bongela
EDITOR AND CINEMATOGRAPHER
Hankyeol Lee
CO-PRODUCERS (Colombia)
Viso Producciones:
Sonia Barrera Gutiérrez
Viviana Gómez Echeverry
Jessica Devaney
Anya Rous
Charlotte Cook
Brenda Robinson
ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS (South Africa)
Lesedi Moche
Hankyeol Lee
MUSIC COMPOSITION
Neo Muyanga
Msaki (Asanda Lusaseni)
Cinetic Media
DISTRIBUTED BY
The Cinema Guild
CONSULTING EDITORS
Arya Lalloo
Todd Chandler
COUNTRIES OF PRODUCTION
South Africa
Colombia
BFI, Milisuthando: a personal interrogation into the lingering horrors of South African apartheid, Kambole Campbell, 17 October 2024.
Essence, Milisuthando Is A Fresh Look At A Lesser-Known South African History, Kovie Biakolo, 3 February 2023.
NPR, Highlights from the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, 31 January 2023.
Variety, ‘Milisuthando’ Review: A Lyrical Reflection on Apartheid's Legacy, Guy Lodge, 28 January, 2023.
Rolling Stone, 12 Best Films and Performances of Sundance 2023, by David Fear, K. Austin Collins, 29 January 2023.
The Hollywood Reporter, ‘Milisuthando’ Review: Poetic Meditations on a Complicated South African History, by Lovia Gyarkye, 1 February 2023.
El Sato, Milisuthando, un filme y un nombre propio para contar desde el amor la búsqueda de la identidad sudafricana, by Lucía Aragón Luque , 11 May 2023.
Okay Africa, Milisuthando Bongela on Making A Film with Her Ancestors, by Nadia Neophytou, 22 January 2023.
The Africa Report, South Africa: Milisuthando Bongela unpacks her striking debut film, by Wilfred Okiche, 4 April 2023.
Black Girl Nerds, Sundance 2023 Review: ‘Milisuthando’ a Mesmerizing Unpacking of Race as a Social Construct, by Jeanine T. Abraham, 21 January 2023.
Film Comment Podcast, The Film Comment Podcast: The Politics of the Personal, 7 March 2023.
Film at Lincoln Center (MoMA), Milisuthando Bongela on Milisuthando, Meet the Filmmakers of New Directors, New Films 2023, by Erik Luers, 23 March 2023.
director@milisuthando.com
producer@milisuthando.com
a series of feelings, ideas and images in process
a collection of first and second guesses about interracial encounters, desire, denial, and me working through a friendship breakup out loud
This film is a continuation of mine and Hankyeol Lee’s collaboration as filmmakers, artists, poets and friends.
This time we invited some new friends in DAPHNE and musicians Sanele Ngubane, Reggie Teys & Stompie Selibe. Thank you to Neo Muyanga and The Centre for the Less Good Idea for commissioning and shepherding this project along with grace and patience.