Mbongeni Ngema and Hugh Masekela’s musical Sarafina! is a much-loved South African classic that’s enjoyed global success, first as a Broadway musical in the late 1980s and then as a film, directed by Darrell Roodt in 1992 and shown at the Cannes Film Festival that year, where it received a 20-minute standing ovation.
Now the film returns to cinemas in a newly restored version, also screened at Cannes this year as part of the Cannes Classics programme. It made the career of its young star Leleti Khumalo, who was just a teenager when she was cast as the eponymous heroine in the original stage production, for which she received a Tony nomination. Khumalo went on to star opposite luminaries such as Whoopi Goldberg, John Kani and Miriam Makeba in the film version and was at Cannes this year for its screening. She spoke to Tymon Smith about the restored version and why the film still has resonance for young audiences.
Your name is forever tied in the public imagination with Sarafina! — on stage and on screen. What does this film mean to you?
Sarafina! plays a very special part in my life. It launched me into the industry globally and still plays a very important role in my life. When you talk about Sarafina!, you’re talking about history and history doesn’t die. We keep playing the film to different generations and it resonates with every generation. I showed it to my children for the first time last year and it made sense to them. They understood and loved it.
What was making the film at that time — after Nelson Mandela’s release and before the 1994 elections — like for you?
It was my first movie and I had to adapt and adjust my performance for the big screen, but we had fun making it and it was amazing. It wasn’t easy — we were working with big stars like Whoopi Goldberg, Miriam Makeba and John Kani, but they supported us. I remember my first scene with Whoopi. I was nervous and sweating and shaking, and she noticed and she asked me if I was fine and I said: “No I’m not fine. I’m so nervous,” and that day’s shooting was cancelled and she told me to go and rest and relax and we’d take it again the next day.
What was it like taking the film back to Cannes this year and what do the new scenes in this version add to the story?
It was brilliant. People loved it and really showed their appreciation. This version just adds some scenes to refocus it on women and so there are more scenes that include women, but it’s more or less the same movie, and then it’s obviously been digitally restored.
What do you think the relevance of the film is for young South Africans today?
It's part of our history and we’re bringing it back to the cinema, [so] it’s going to play the same role that it did for the original generation of viewers. I can’t wait to see what role it will play for this generation because it’s about the struggle. but it’s also about hope. We’re focusing on women with this re-release and women play different roles in our lives and they go through different struggles, whether that’s at work or at home or in society. Sarafina! says whatever struggle you’re going through, you must have hope.
What do you hope new audiences take away from seeing the film?
Hope! We have a new generation now and I hope that parents take their children to the cinemas and watch it with them and tell them about our history and enjoy it. I hope that everyone who is going through struggles will have hope after watching Sarafina!
• Sarafina! is on circuit.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.