The Republic of Transkei, an unrecognised Black independent region established by the apartheid regime, created the illusion for Black South Africans that separate could be equal. And paradoxically for Bongela, life in the Transkei proved as idyllic as the propaganda claimed.

The fall of apartheid ushered in a new life, one that included – for the first time – whiteness.

A deeply intimate portrait of past, present and future South Africa, blending poetry, film, and photography into a striking cinematic essay,  Milisuthando Bongela explores love, friendship, and belonging in a South Africa stratified by racism – proving that only if we understand its tentacles, can we begin to extricate ourselves from its clutches.

Screening as part of SNAPSHOT - a season of films celebrating Black girls coming of age on their own terms. Presented by T A P E with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery.

This October, for Black History Month, QFT celebrates Black filmmakers, storytellers and creatives who have enriched cinema.