Mawande Kheswa's 'Living Proof' receives award at Musicbed Challenge

Durban-born filmmaker Mawande Kheswa

According to Kheswa, the short film was shot in one day and edited within a week. It’s based on the true story of a young man who, desperate to escape poverty, travels to Durban in search of better opportunities. Faced with the reality of minimal chances of success without an education, he uses the last of his money to register at university and sacrifices shelter and food living on the streets while studying. Some people catch wind of his story and assist him to make his dream of being an accountant a reality.

Not a stranger to being in front of the camera, Kheswa’s passion for storytelling has grown by leaps and bounds from his early days in television on eTV’s Sunrise. His aim in producing films is to tell positive uplifting stories.

“As a young South African facing 30.1% of unemployment in a country experiencing an economic downturn, I wanted to tell a story of hope and encourage young people that you can do something to change your situation with enough determination,” says Kheswa.

Musicbed Challenge was founded on the belief that creatives have the power to shape culture and make a positive contribution to the world. The challenge for the competition for 2020 was for filmmakers from all walks of life to create short films that would inspire, uplift and build optimism toward the future during Covid-19.