The Wooden Camera

Luruli's second feature sustains the fundamentally optimistic outlook of Chickin Bizniz, his gentle paternalism evident in the character of the Trevor Huddleston-like figure of Mr Shawn (Cassel), a music tutor who takes joy in the creativity of the Cape Town townships. This potentially dark social drama/love story follows two 14-year-olds, Madiba and Sipho, who aim to shoot themselves out of trouble, the former with a discovered camcorder, the latter with a gun. The white perspective is brought in by means of rebellious, dreadlocked Estelle, involved with the two boys despite her father's racist opposition. Gordon Spooner produces much dazzling, art-inflected camera work (though arguably a little precocious in that presented as the boy's), Singo and Msimango are superb as the polarised protagonists and the director brings the whole together with a pleasing light touch.