This week’s Spotlight episode features an Oscar-winning animation, Gospel sensation Sneziey, a glimpse at South African Fashion Week, and a local stoner comedy.
A dreamlike world, shared by the living and the dead, sets the stage for the mesmerising Japanese fantasy, The Boy and the Heron, out in cinemas. Mahito, a headstrong 12-year-old boy facing a daunting new life after losing his mother, meets a mischievous heron who helps him uncover the truth about himself. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), it scooped the Oscar for Best Animated Film. The film has been released in Japanese with English subtitles, and in dubbed English, with a voice cast that includes Christian Bale, Florence Pugh and Robert Pattinson.
Steaming on Netflix, the local stoner-comedy, Soweto Blaze, tells the story of a small-time weed dealer Mo, who yearns to make an honest living. But there is no quick or clean escape, as his dim-witted friends pull him into a get-rich-quick kidnapping scheme that quickly spirals out of control. Directed by Brad Katzen, (The Domestic), and starring Matli Mohapeloa, Dimpho More, Nhlanhla Masiya, expect a fast-paced fun ride.
Three years after her chart-topping debut album, gospel artist Sneziey Msomi makes a triumphant return with her latest EP, Sibonga Umusa, which can be streamed on music platforms. Her inaugural live performance will take place on April 26 in her hometown, Durban, where she will be joined on stage by support acts Malusi Mbokazi, Jumbo and Dumi Mkokstad, and a surprise guest, whose identity will be revealed closer to the time. Additional dates to be announced soon.
Don’t miss the glitz and glamour in Spotlight’s insert on the opening night of South Africa’s biggest fashion event, where celebs and designers rub shoulders. On at the Mall of Africa, the event features 10 shows across three days, showcasing 30 collections. Look out for work from designers such as Imprint, Jacques van der Walt, Ephraim Molingoana, and more.
