I caught the premiere episode of SABC1's new Thursday night mini-series Umthunzi We Nthaba (Mountain Shadow) and was hooked from the first moment.
Set in an Eastern Cape village, the show follows the story of a group of boys who need to go through their traditional initiation into manhood. At the centre of the story is Ndoda who's studious, popular and in love with a girl he believes he wants to be with for forever.
He wants to go off into the world to pursue his studies and realise his dreams but before he can he needs to go through his initiation - which he seriously doesn't want to do. Both him and his mother don't believe he should be forced to do it. They're haunted by the stories of all the physical things that can wrong and don't see how being initiated will change who he is.
The first episode focused on these conflicts within Ndoda as well as the battle between him and his father, who has strongly traditional beliefs.
What's so excellent about the show is that it's filmed in such a way that you can fully understand the gutting predicament he's in. The lighting and colour of the photography is amazing and every picture is so crisp and clear it feels as if you're right there with him breathing the same air.
Also, the camera angles use timing and different shots of the same thing in groovy ways that pulls you into the action. The best aspect though is the acting which is so realistic, well-paced and empathetic to each character that you end up being on everyone's side - even when you don't agree with them.
There was a scene between another character called Duma and his father that was too much to cope with 'cos of how it forced you to tear yourself up between them. Duma also isn't keen on going through with it - but for different reasons to Ndoda. He only wants to wear fashionable, branded clothing and spends his time doing rebellious, irreponsible things like getting drunk and smoking dope etc.
His father bought him an old fashioned "manly" outfit for his ceremony and when he gave it to him Duma refused to take it and basically flung it back in his fathers face. Of course his father couldn't understand and wouldn't tolerate why he wouldn't want to be initiated or wear it and the scene between them ended with Duma screaming at his father to leave him alone, accusing him of not loving him.
Each scene was like this - full of these kinds of situations between the young and the old, each unable to accept the perspective of the other.
The interesting thing is that not all the boys are anti-initiation. There are those who are very keen on it and they can't understand Ndoda's point of view either.
As the episode neared it's end, the initiation process began, all the boys said their goodbyes to their loved ones and were led to a river to swim. This was very interesting for me never having experienced such a thing - seeing everyone celebrating and how proud their fathers and the other mouldy men were. There were tons of wrinkles hovering around who didn't seem to have any sons.
All the boys got into the river and Ndoda wavered, not wanting to go, while being taunted for being a coward by the rest of the boys.
He went into the river, bathed around with them, they all got out and he didn't. Instead he looked at everyone desperately and dunked himself under the water, clearly needing to drown himself.
And that' s how it ended. It all left me feeling that very soon initiation ceremonies will disappear and be a thing of the past.
Do you think this is gonna happen?
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Umthunzi We Ntaba is on SABC1 on Thursdays at 21h00. There are four episodes in the series.