U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha (2005)

Director:

Mark Dornford-May

Writers:

Mark Dornford-May (writer)
Ludovic Halévy (opera)

Release Date:

1 April 2005 (Greece)

Genre:

Musical | Drama | Romance

Plot:

A version of Georges Bizet's Carmen, set in a modern-day South African township.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Opera | Opera Singer | Flashback Sequence | Based On Novel

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Pauline Malefane	...	Carmen
Andile Tshoni	...	Jongikhaya
Lungelwa Blou	...	Nomakhaya
Zweilungile Sidloyi	...	Lulamile Nkomo (as Zorro Sidloyi)
Andries Mbali	...	Bra Nkomo
Zamile Gantana	...	Captain Gantana
Andiswa Kedama	...	Amanda
Ruby Mthethwa	...	Pinki
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ross Garland	...	Policeman

Also Known As:

U-Carmen (South Africa: English title) (DVD title)

Runtime:

USA:122 min | Germany:120 min

Country:

South Africa

Language:

Xhosa

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Ireland:PG

Filming Locations:

Khayelitsha, South Africa

Company:

Spier Films

Movie Connections:

Version of Carmen (1933)

Soundtrack:

Carmen

There is hope

Call me a softy, or sentimental, but merging two ancient traditions to see it not only work but enforce each other is nothing short of a miracle. I think it's a victory for the human experience to discover that boundaries are artificial and should be disposed of. I think the clinking and clonking of the stairs and the passing trains during the final scene are plea for honesty and integrity in contemporary cinema. It also shows how stuck up we are in today's operatic environment. The ability to suggest leniency towards what is real in this movie is absolutely brilliant. Watching a movie like this one gives me hope that there are still people out there who believe movie making is a form of expression of what we believe freedom should feel like. Another encouraging element is the sense of community that this movie is exhaling without romanticizing the life of the poor; they're proud of their community, they're proud of their traditions and they love to show it (although no animals were harmed). The only problem I have is that I will never be able to see Carmen, the opera, in the traditional way again. On the other hand, think of the possibilities, Hamlet in the rain forest, Ibsen in Tehran, Brecht in Mumbai - thinks are looking up in the world.