President Jacob Zuma’s scandal-ridden ascent, reign, and ultimate ousting come under sharp scrutiny in the festival’s closing film, Craig Tanner’s, The Showerhead which affords audiences an insight into the South African political landscape via the acute observations of the political cartoonist, Zapiro.
Zapiro’s keen-eyed capture of issues in the post-Mandela period is matched only by the actual state capture which he has wryly portrayed on a regular basis. The complexities of corruption, subversion of the Constitution and the rule of law, and threats to free speech are conveyed with the subtle stroke of a pen. The film considers freedom of expression in contemporary South Africa with reference to the boundaries tested in Zapiro’s cartoons and his resolute defiance of attempts to stifle his work and affirms his continuing relevance.
Zapiro’s work, which as Brett Murray has said, “speaks for itself, clearly, articulately and is brazenly accurate” is examined from his period as an anti-apartheid struggle artist to his enduring role as a progressive commentator and freedom-of-expression champion. The role of art in flying the flag for the uncensored flow of information is magnified in this personal archiving of the political.
“Art and culture play a critical role in strengthening South Africa’s constitutional democracy. Section 16 of the South African Constitution guarantees Freedom of Expression and Freedom of Creativity. At the Durban International Festival our programme affords a unique opportunity to both record and reflect on our shared histories and allow audiences the time and space to interrogate our past with a view to building a meaningful and sustainable future”, says Andrea Voges, Head of Programming and Festival Manager.
“In this 30th year of our Constitutional Democracy DIFF is proud to share so many of these opportunities in this, the 45th edition of a festival that celebrates South African film and the role that filmmakers can play both as witness and defenders of democracy”, she adds.