Have mercy

Starring Given Stuurman, Tshozama Madikane and King Twala, it is narrated in Xhosa and Zulu, and it tells the story of Neo, a young boy living in the inner city of Johannesburg, who finds himself locked out of his flat one afternoon.

As dusk settles, and night-time descends over the city, young Neo has to confront his worst fear: the dark. Through an enigmatic encounter with a blind old man living on the rooftop of his block of flats, Neo learns an important lesson. But not before the end reveals an unexpected twist in the tale.

Written and directed by Catherine Muller SWEET MERCY was filmed on DV on a small budget with a very tight crew. (Casting: Mavis Khanye; Sound: Mzukisi Mtshiselo; First AD: Hector Bopapi; Production assistants: David Mokoena and Tumi Mohapi; Camera assistant: Cecil Mahetlane; Editor: Willie Saayman). A real labour of love, it was completed over Christmas and New Year, between bouts of torrential Joburg rain and electric storms.

"Sweet Mercy" was made possible through the generosity of the South African National Film and Video Foundation.