This week at the second edition of the Joburg Film Festival in partnership with Multichoice Group, Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s Eastern Cape boxing tale, “Knuckle City” premiered and immediately received rave reviews.
The film follows Dudu Nyakama played by Bongile Mantsai who is famously known for his role in Inxeba & Scandal. Dudu is a struggling boxer from Mdantsane and has hopes of using boxing to come out of poverty. The cast also includes comedian Sivuyile Ngesi, Faniswa Yisa, Thembekile Komani, Owen Sejake, Patrick Ndlovu & Zolisa Xaluva.
When the name Jahmil X.T Qubeka gets mentioned, it’s impossible not to think about his remarkable cinematic works such as the film Of Good Report and Sew The Winter To My Skin. His latest offering, Knuckle City is being received positively across the world. It has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and had a world premiere at Toronto International Film Festival as part of their contemporary world cinema program.
Watch the trailer for Knuckle City
The cinema was a full house in Sandton Ster-kinekor as lots of people came in numbers to experience this gripping yet heartbreaking story that focuses on the culture of boxing in the township. Mdantsane (East London) is well known for its deep-rooted culture in boxing. The film boasts with such great cinematography & overall outstanding performance from the cast. It does a great job of challenging a prevalent problem affecting the township of Mdantsane and SA at large. This includes traditional notions of masculinity to reveal how toxic and destructive it can be.
Bongile Mantsai’s on-screen presence carries the movie in ways that a lead actor should and Thembekile Komani as Duke shines from the moment he appears on the screen. Jahmil mentioned during the Q&As that he already knew who he was going to work with from when he was still in the writing stages of this film.
Knuckle City is also South Africa’s official submission for the 92nd Academy Awards.
