Asheville Film Festival
- The Swenkas
- Director: Jeppe Rønde
Documentary. 2004. Denmark. 72 min. Zulu, Subtitled.
In post-apartheid South Africa a small group of working Zulu men leave their grimy overalls behind every Saturday night and wear their best Carducci or Pierre Cardin suits to impress a fashion judge. The men are called the Swenkas, and they have run a fashion show for so many years that no one knows exactly when-or even why-it all began. The youngest Swenka, Sabelo, is in the most turbulent time of his life. He has to bury his father just a week before Christmas and only a week before his own wedding. But Sabelo's father was also "father" of the Swenkas, and now Sabelo and his fellow Swenkas find themselves in a state of uncertainty. The Swenkas are the film's direct entry to the darkest downtown of contemporary Johannesburg, one of the most violent cities on earth. But the Swenkas are about to tell a totally different story from within that very place-a story of hope.
- Showings
Thursday, January 19 at 10pm – Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company