Fools (Ramadan Suleman, 1997): or, the importance of being able to tell 'messy' stories at the 'wrong' time

Dovey, Lindiwe

Abstract

Ramadan Suleman and Bhekizizwe Peterson's film Fools (1997) occupies a vital place in South African and cinema history as the first feature-length fiction film made by black filmmakers in post-apartheid South Africa. However, Fools is far from a dry academic analysis; it has all the energy of the township community itself. Lead actor Patrick Shai, a well-known television personality in South Africa, spent time chatting to his community in shebeens (township bars) to find out how they thought he should play the role of Zamani. For a film dealing with such horrific subject matter as rape, there are also scenes of great warmth and humour. Fools can best be appreciated when viewed in conjunction with other South African and African films. By taking De Voortrekkers and Fools as bookends to twentieth-century film production in South Africa, one can see just how revolutionary Fools' 'introspective criticism'.

Citation

Dovey, L. (2014). Fools (Ramadan Suleman, 1997): or, the importance of being able to tell 'messy' stories at the 'wrong' time. In L. Bisschoff, & D. Murphy (Eds.), Africa's Lost Classics: New Histories of African Cinema (107-112). Legenda. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315097534-12

• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2014
• Deposit Date: Mar 30, 2015
• Pages: 107-112
• Book Title: Africa's Lost Classics: New Histories of African Cinema
• ISBN: 9780367598945
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315097534-12