I AM, WE AREAn SABC1 documentary series commemorating Women’s Month 2012TX Date: Tuesday 7 August 2012
TX Time: 21h00
Episodes: 4
Duration: 1 hour
Events are hosted in their honour. Public places are emblazoned with their names. Organizations are founded because of their existence. These are stories of origins and originators, leading ladies, women ambassadors and family custodians.
Without them HIStory would poorly lack HER story.
I AM, WE ARE is a four-part, four-hour documentary series, produced by Airtime Artists, for SABC 1, to commemorate Women’s Month 2012.
Every Tuesday in August between 9-10pm catch an appointment with historic women, champions of gender parity, women with a worldview and females heading households.
I AM, WE ARE is a visual diary & story about South African women milestones in an international agenda - this is a midpoint between the individual within a collective.
For the first time we highlight the thought-life of femaleness by actualising it with factual experiences of women’s everyday live/s.
This is not a women’s story told to validate the narrative of females by juxtaposing them in a man’s world. The documentary is not a political gender agenda; aside with struggle narrative or equality activism, this is not a campaign for inclusion versus exclusion - enough with social commentary or the so-called ‘women issues’ that are far too common or fatigued.
The documentary is not about discrimination, the plight of women, abuse, rape, etc. Although important to highlight as they are; these do not dictate our focus area/s.
I AM, WE ARE acknowledges the roots of women’s origins as originators. We debate gender parity through leading ladies occupying the echelons of power. Women living with disabilities are mainstreamed as ambassadors and commentators through their work in the arts.
We open and close the documentary series with a family portrait of mother/s and daughter/s by zooming in on women’s legacy and juxtaposing past versus present times.
Episode 1 ‘origins and originators’ (7 August 2012) A 100-year photo-essay documentation of South African female firsts by local women with an international agenda. These are a select few anecdotes of little-known factual narrative about well-known women to magnify footnotes into headlines.
o Neo Ntsoma & Bongiwe Gumede – Photographers
o Charlotte Maxeke – Mother of Black Freedom
o Patricia de Lille – Cape Town Mayor
o Dr Mary Malahlela-Xakana – first Black-female medical doctor
o Helen Suzman – Parliamentarian
o Helen Jospeh – Activist
o Angie Motshekga – ANCWL President
o Mary Burton – Black Sash Trustee
o Penny Coelen – South Africa’s one & only Miss World
o Phumzile Mlambo-Ngquka – former SA Deputy President
o Nadine Gordimer – Africa’s only female Nobel laureate in literature
o Phethiwe Matutu & Mamokgethi Setati – Mathematicians
o Vuyo Mahlati – President of IWFSA
o Nathalie du Toit – Athlete
o Lulama Mokhobo – first female SABC GCEO
Episode 2 ‘leading ladies’ (14 August 2012) A roundtable meeting of leading ladies to review gender parity as interpreted by Professor Pumla Dineo Gqola representing the academy, Advocate Thuli Madonsela at the legal fraternity and Ipeleng Mkhari from the business front.
Episode 3 ‘women ambassador’ (21 August 2012) Profiles the worldview and experiences of female artists living with disabilities. Through their work and/or thought-life we incidentally get a glimpse of their commentary as South African women ambassadors. This story features: Shelley Barry a paraplegic filmmaker / poet, Rhulani Baloyi a blind journalist, Mbali Nkosi Miss Deaf 2011.
Episode 4 ‘family custodian’ (28 August 2012) A family portrait of female-headed households and the work-life legacy being inherited or passed down by mothers to their daughters i.e. women as family custodians.
The film stars: media darlings KG & Dineo Moeketsi, global citizens Thandiwe January-Mclean & Naima Mclean plus Kholeka, a professional nurse, and her daughter i.e. doctor Vuyelwa Baba.
Overall, the documentary series is appointment TV viewing that uses history to highlight her story. I AM, WE ARE is a juncture for humans or society to introspect, reflect and project on the trajectory of women’s lives within our motherland; the earth I know is a woman.
YIZO YIZO SEASON 1 (Local Drama)TX Date: Thursday 9 August 2012
TX Time: 22h00
Episodes: 13
A rebroadcast of the popular 13-part local drama series that looks at problems faced by pupils in South Africa's education system as a result of a breakdown in the culture of learning and teaching leading to a sense of helplessness among parents, students and teachers.
Issues of drug abuse, gangsterism and rape are tackled. Focusing on Supatsela High School, the story revolves around an autocratic cane-wielding principal who is forced to leave after he assaults a pupil. His successor is weak and corrupt and the situation in the school deteriorates with gangsters and criminal elements filtering through.
The principal is eventually dismissed and replaced by Grace Letsatsi and under her leadership, the community get together to retake ownership of the school. The students are empowered and able to express their views.
Cast includes: School principal (Patrick Ndlovu); Grace Letsatsi (Nambitha Mpumlwana); Javas (Meshack Mavuso); Zakes (Jet Novuka; Nomsa (Charmaine Mtinta; Chester (Ernest Msibi); Papa Action (Ronnie Nyakale); Thiza (Tshepo Ngwane); Hazel (Nomonde Gongxeka); Edwin Thapelo (Patrick Shai); Gunman (Christopher Kubheka); Zoe Cele (Sthandiwe Msomi); Bobo (Innocent Masuku); Mantwa (Lorraine Mphephi) and Dudu (Noluthando Maleka).
Lead Credits: Directors: Tebogo Mahlatsi & Angus Gibson
Executive Producers: Nicola Galombik, Siven Maslamoney & Isaac Shongwe
Producer: Desiree Markgraaf.