The story focuses on a successful black businessman who has just purchased a gold mine, together with a small group of shareholders. He discovers Zama Zama (illegal miners) in their mine and immerses himself into the world of the Zama Zama, which is guarded by cartels and extreme violence.
Writer-director Vickus Strijdom makes his impressive feature-film debut and is a young director to keep an eye on; with Zama Zama he does not exploit the explosive subject matter, but hinges his emotional loaded story on the Cain and Abel scenario.
Two brothers, separated by irreconcilable differences and living in two different worlds that reflect the best and the worst of the New South Africa, are forced to make amends and go to the extreme to redeem their guilt and afflictions.
Lindani Nkosi (Drum, Wild At Heart and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency) delivers a sterling performance as the older and wiser brother, with great support from Presley Chweneyagae (Tsotsi, More Than Just A Game, State Of Violence) equally impressive as the younger, rebellious brother.
Another noteworthy performance is that of Khulu M Skenjana (Invictus, Sniper Reloaded), as a gangster who makes quite a lot of money because of the illegal mining cartel he is running.
The heartfelt performances, under Strijdom's impassioned direction, successfully capture the fear and trepidation that most South Africans face daily.
Zama Zama is a well-crafted and well-told story that showcases South African filmmaking at its best. It's good to find that local films are breaking away from the "lekker" and giving us films with bite that reflect humanity in South Africa with meaningful intent. If you are looking for entertainment that is driven by vibrant characters that is insightful and intriguing, Zama Zama won't disappoint.
The filming of Zama Zama posed great challenges and obstacles for the filmmakers, as the film is set in a derelict section of an operational mine. The greatest challenge was to replicate the world of the miners in a realistic manner, taking all these restrictions into account and portraying them on screen.
This film had a relatively small budget and the story posed expensive challenges, preventing us from utilising an extensive set in a studio environment. Zama Zama was filmed underground, making use of altogether seven mines. The filmmakers used a variety of locations within the mining industries. Among them were the Blaauwbank Historic Gold Mine, Gold Reef City, Kromdraai Antique Gold Mine, along with a number of operational mines, ranging in size from very small family-run mines to massive operational gold mines.
In the film, the characters move through a network of tunnels, both operational and inoperative, and the challenge was to merge these sections seamlessly, using a variety of elements at each of the vastly different mining locations. Care was taken to keep continuity in telling the story, remaining conscious of all these elements in a world in which orientation could quickly be lost. The film was a logistical challenge in every possible way. In total, the team spent three weeks underground with space and light being limited and another three weeks above ground.
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