Tsotsi

Tsotsi
Directed by Gavin Hood
Palace Films
(M)

A young thug living in a shanty town outside of Johannesburg gets more than he bargained for when he steels a car (and shoots the female owner) only to find a baby sleeping quietly in the back seat.

Orphaned at a young age and with little respect for the lives of others or himself, the presence of a baby unexpectedly forces Tsotsi to confront his own brutality.

This profoundly moving film captures the huge divide between rich and poor in South Africa and hints at the effects of the Aids crisis on future generations. For the first time in his life, Tsotsi has to deal with the consequences of his actions.

Based on a novel by playwright Athol Fugard, Tsotsi won Best Foreign Language Film at the 2006 Academy Awards.

This film, with its dull, dirty colours and gritty ghetto soundtrack gives an insightful look at how life’s simple truths can heal a sadly damaged soul.