Inxeba-The Wound

The film poses questions on whether it is begging to be regarded as a fiction piece on an anthropological documentary about circumcision for the male Xhosa men coming of age. Most of the shots are beautifully shot, displaying the outskirts of Eastern Cape and its beauty of the land, especially when the action takes place inside the jungle. The wide shots are really incredible! And it is remarkable that the film did not make use of any music or soundtracks throughout. It is refreshing too, that the cast is entirely new in the industry, unlike the trend where familiar faces of Rapulana Seipheimo or Idris Elba are cast to play roles in major blockbusters.

It is not clear whether the film wants to suggest that male circumcision needs to be reviewed or that there should be a choice between those who want to go to the mountain. However, towards the closing shot of the film, the camera cuts straight to a young boy moving along with the crowd that is welcoming the ‘new men’ of ulwaluko. We spend time looking at him, unsure whether the boy is thinking about his journey that he will be expected to undertake when the time comes, or that the director wants us to empathise with the young ones who are prone to the experience against or for their will within the culture. Can it be possible that film is trying to say that culture is fluid and that it changes time to time without really bashing it as being barbaric and oppressive? It remians unclear.

In general the film is a masterpiece for reasons that it is entirely in isiXhosa, which is something every rare with South African Films in the post 1994 era. Also, the films sets a new ground of storytelling in South Africa by exploring gay stories, especially one that is set in the cultural conflict. However, it raises concerns when looking at it in the perspective of the Xhosa culture when it remains secretive. Although the director assures the audiences that he ‘allowed’ the actors to workshop the filming process in ways that best defines them, but we are well aware of his privilege as an outsider to the culture. This also creates anxiety around the excessive access with the way he chose to represent ulwaluko. Important parts that may cause controversy have been done away with, according to him, but visuals suggests we should imagine what is happening between the gaps that left open or censored from the ritual of foreskin cutting, even when the knife and the words are very vivid in painting a mental picture of how we should go about in picturing where the man are cutting.

The film must be credited for writing a love story so realistic that you do not have to be a homosexual to get it. Two men are caught up in a love affair, where Xolani loves a married man, Vija (Vincent) who has a lousy job and two kids that he cannot provide for while secretly screwing him during the ritual. Xolani is not so different from Vincent’s economic backdrop as a forklift driver, but he still insists on helping Vincent out with cash. He desires to move to Queenstown, where he can accumulate a better job and get closer to Vija who lives there, in town, they call it, to suggest that Xolani lives in the local village where the initiation takes place.

According to the narrative, this love affair started way back when these two traditional leaders were boys themselves, initiating to become men. An honest love is shown struggling to come to life because of the taboo within the culture. Especially when the connotations of manhood entails being masculine, strong and tough. Xolani is neither, moreover he cannot not even fight ‘like a man’ and so we empathise  with him, feel for him and constantly hope that he comes to terms with the fact that Vincent is using him for his sexual pleasures. In the midst of this, Vincent is always fighting for him, defending him. This becomes a clear conflict that, he, despite his arrogance and misogynistic ways, is in fact in love with Xolani.

The film deserves high criticism for excluding the role of women in the entire film. They are nowhere to be seen even when the sons have birthed are at their toughest time in their lives: knowing clearly that the odds facing them are either they will come back as men or will die there because of issues of maladministration from the foreskin cutting process itself. Furthermore, this film stands to be questioned as to why we do not seen the presence of white people in it when it is made by them. Maybe it is about time white filmmakers stopped excluding themselves in black narrative they author, more especially when producers and directors remain white with the help of black scriptwriters and researchers that do not get any of the credit when the film travels and becomes a success abroad. 

                                                                             Review by Noluvuyo Mjoli