Official Selection: Soweto International Film Festival 2025
We are thrilled to announce that your film, Room1008 has been officially selected for this year’s edition of the festival!
Out of the many outstanding submissions received from across the globe, your work stood out for its creativity, storytelling, and powerful cinematic voice. Our esteemed curators — Helen Kuun and Thandeka Zwana—were particularly impressed by the artistry and vision your film brings
to the screen. Your film will be screened at the iconic Soweto Theatre, as part of the 2025 Soweto International Film Festival and Soweto Film Market —a vibrant celebration of storytelling, culture, and creative excellence taking place in the heart of Soweto.
We are pleased to inform you that your feature documentary will be screened on
21 November 2025
7:00 PM – under the Feature Documentaries category.
Room 1008, the story of Matthews Mabelane to screen in
Ireland, 14 November 2025.
As part of the book launch for Afterimages of Apartheid by Dr Kylie Thomas, Room 1008 will be screened at the University College Cork .
Afterimages of Apartheid_ shows how photographs of the past can be mobilised as a critical tool for understanding the ongoing effects of apartheid in contemporary South Africa.
Through close readings of significant images made during and after apartheid, the book shows how photography works as a means of documentation, commemoration, and resistance. The book considers the ways in which photographs can be used to contest impunity for state violence. Afterimages includes chapters on the Sharpeville and Marikana massacres, on the re-opening of cases of human rights violations that
remain unresolved in the aftermath of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and on contemporary protests against the post-apartheid state. The book makes a powerful case for the role of photographs in drawing the viewer into the past time they represent, issuing a call to the living to remember, respond, and react.
“I watched the film again yesterday – it is really moving, and I started crying in at least six different moments. I think the discussion about the film and the book is going to be quite emotional!” Kylie Thomas
The book is free to download here:
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-mono/10.4324/9781003515401/afterimages-apartheid-kylie-thomas
Please register to join the discussion about the book, and about Enver Samuel’s film “Truth Be Told: Room 1008” online via the link below:
🍿🎥🎞️Calling all Jozi doc-lovers!🍿🎥🎞️
Please join us for this month’s free docLOVE screening: THE BREASTFEEDING WARRIOR, from the TRUTH BE TOLD series. The screening will be followed by a special Q&A session with the filmmaker, Enver Samuel, and the core character in the film, Thabang Mabuza.
🗓Date: 25 October 2025 @ 14:00
📍Venue: The Bioscope, 44 Stanley, Milpark
🎟 Ticket bookings (R20): https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/doclove-2025-oct
About the film:
Truth Be Told is a six-part documentary series that puts South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) process under the microscope thirty-one years after our democracy. The first episode, The Breastfeeding Warrior, explores the murder of an Umkhonto we Sizwe soldier, Phila Portia Ndwandwe, who was only 23 years old when she was tortured and killed by apartheid security police in KwaZulu-Natal in 1988. The documentary looks at Ndwandwe’s murder through the eyes of her son, Thabang Mabuza. The documentary explores issues of trauma.
The French Embassy in South Africa & the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) present:
🎬 Truth Be Told – Prisoner in My Mind
🗓️ Thursday, 11 September 2025
🕠 17:00 for a sharp start at 17:30
📍 Dibukafé, 70 Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg
Join us for a screening of Prisoner in My Mind, the fifth episode in Enver Samuel’s acclaimed documentary series Truth Be Told, which revisits apartheid-era atrocities and the legacy of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
This powerful episode tells the story of Richard and Irene Motasi, a couple executed in their home by a security police hit squad in 1987 — and of their son Tshidiso, who survived by hiding in a cupboard. Decades later, he is still confronting the trauma of that night. As things stand, the Hawks are investigating the case.
🎤 The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Enver Samuel,
🥂 with snacks and drinks provided afterwards.
Free entry | All welcome who RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc94NC0SSn3MqgOQBBGHlfTSBwbxxXlVebT2v7ev9imAyPNxQ/viewform?usp=header
Screening of Truth Be Told episodes at Nelson Mandela University
Various episodes from the Truth Be Told series will be screened at the George campus from the 27th to 29th August followed by Question and Answer sessions.
The Breastfeeding Warrior invited to screen at Wits University
The Critical Apartheid Studies Group at the University of the Witwatersrand’s will be hosting a screening and Q&A for their conference – The Body is Present:Rethinking the Afterlives of Violence and Legacies of Oppression. Wednesday, 23rd April at 10am
Prisoner In My Mind to screen at the Human Rights Film
Festival at Constitutional Hill
The documentary that tells the story of the tragic killing of Richard and Irene Motasi by apartheid assassins in 1988. The story unfolds through their sons’ eyes, Tsidiso who gives a visceral account of trans-generational trauma. Having the documentary screen on Human Rights Day
is a perfect tribute to these fallen heroes.
Screening of Cocoon of Pain at Freedom Park in Pretoria to commemorate the Day of Reconciliation at 1pm.
Screening at the Institute for Healing of Memories
Cocoon of Pain from the Truth Be Told series was screened in Mowbray, Cape Town recently with a intense workshop after the viewing…. Emotions of pain, anger and even revenge were expressed by the participants of various ages and backgrounds were thoroughly engaged with the content.
The Red carpet comes out for Truth Be Told in Khayelitsha, Cape Town
The Bertha Movie House at the Isivivana Centre in Khayelitsha played host to a screening of an episode from the Truth Be Told series, The Breastfeeding Warrior. A packed audience was riveted and left with raw feelings of emotions that ranged from shock, anger, pain and even revenge…
The Bones of Memory screens at AVReQ, Stellenbosch University.
Prof Pumla Gobodo Madikizela head of the Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest invited director of the Truth Be Told series to screen a epsiode from the series titled The Bones of Memory. A detailed Q&A session followed with thought provoking issues raised around Justice and trans generational trauma…
THE 15th SAJE CONFERENCE (WITS MUSIC) 2024, 26th and 27thJuly
We host great panels, exclusive documentary screenings, artists, sector networks & a series of special
masterclasses with the celebrated NYO JAZZ orchestra, their Directors, Staff & Performers who are
pioneering their INAUGURAL South African Tour, 2024.
This collaborative project is envisioned as a national and international music exchange, furthering the extraordinary talents of youth to foster
cultural exchange, while inspiring sustainability, ownership,
productivity and entrepreneurship in the global music sector while promoting the African music industry, at large with other regions and dynamic sectors.
LINK TO THE SAJE 15th CONFERENCE 2204
The SAJE Website For More Information: https://sajejazz.co.za
In the ever-evolving landscape of global music, South African jazz holds a unique position, blending heritage with innovation and embracing inclusivity through cultural exchange. The digital age has revolutionized how we create, share, and experience music, offering new avenues for cultural dialogue and artistic collaboration.
The 15th SAJE Conference aims to explore these dynamics through insightful presentations and engaging discussions. Join us to explore
how South African jazz continues to inspire inclusivity and cultural exchange in the digital age. We look forward to welcoming you to Johannesburg for a vibrant exchange of ideas and insights.
Pathways to Light from The Truth Be Told Series will be screened on Saturday 27th July at 3pm. The doccie looks at jazz musician Mandla Mlangeni’s quest to use his music and by extension his trumpet to heal from the horrific death of his father Bheki, who was killed by apartheid
security police in 1991.
KZNF hosts a double screening of two documentaries from the Truth Be Told series.
The Bones of Memory and The Breastfeeding Warrior had the honor of being screened recently at the Bat Center in Kwa Zulu Natal. The films were represented by the son of Phila Portia Ndwandwe, Thabang Mabuza and Ntombi Kubheka was represented by her daughter Thuli Kubheka. Ilan Lax a
former TRC investigator gave the key note address. KZNF contributed to some of the funding of The Breast Feeding Warrior.
INPUT-2024,Charleston USA
The series The Truth Be Told gained international recognition recently when episode 1,The Breastfeeding Warrior was selected to represent South Africa for the prestigious Input, story telling in the public interest in Charleston, South Carolina. Public broadcaster’s from all over the world were in attendance .The
Breastfeeding Warrior was screened in the category Decolonizing storytelling, creating real space for re-telling the complete story.
Artfluence Human Rights Festival at the University of Kwa Zulu Natal
The Bones of Memory from the Truth Be Told series was selected to screen at the influential festival dedicated to the arts recently. After a emotional screening with the daughter of Ntombi Kubheka, Thuli, a powerful discussion delved into the raw emotions the film stirs offering a place of reflection, healing and solidarity. As audiences shared their
thoughts and experiences , they honor the memory of Ntombi and all those impacted by the themes explored in the documentary. These are stories that demand to be heard.
PREMIERE SCREENING OF TRUTH BE TOLD-PRISONER IN MY MIND
A episode from the series Truth Be Told was screened for a select
audience at the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright in Sandton recently. Focusing on the story of Richard and Irene Motasi as told by their only
son, Tsidiso. Justice Albie Sachs gave the key note address. Family members of the Motasi’s were in attendance endorsing the documentary. wholeheartedly.
HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL AT CONSTITUTIONAL HILL
The Breastfeeding Warrior was selected to screen at ConHill film
festival recently to mark Human Rights Day. The festivals theme was seize the power and stand up for human rights. Phila Portia Ndwandwe’s son Thabang was in attendance with the director Enver Samuel. The doccie
played to a full house.
PREMIER SCREENING OF THE BREASTFEEDING WARRIOR TO LAUNCH THE TRUTH BE TOLD SERIES.
The Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Foundation for Human Rights joined forces to host the screening of The Breastfeeding Warrior recently in Johannesburg. The story is about Phila Portia Ndwandwe as told by her only son, Thabang. A full house screening bore witness to a moving story
followed by a vigorous Q&A session. This was the first in a series of 6 doccies to be screened on SABC3.
The Living Rights Festival presents a screening of “Pathways to Light” | IFAA (ifaaza.org)
TRUTH BE TOLD 