'Inxeba' is an award winning film which has recently been banned by South Africa's Film and Publication Board. For all those who were genuinely interested in the movie, it means that it is now illegal to view the movie publicly nor privately.
The movie is about finding and exploring your true self and sexuality but others have taken the whole interpretation of freedom of self and have made it a cultural abomination. In the Eastern Cape many Xhosa people, mostly men, took to the cinemas in an outrage to stop the movie from being viewed by anyone. Nakhane Toure, the main actor of the film has received numerous threats due to his role in the movie and his sexuality in real life. As he is a homosexual man.
I think the question we should be asking is why. Why are black people, to be precise, why is the Xhosa culture against the screening of this movie? Writing from a Xhosa persons point of view, I feel that our culture is beautiful and it should be celebrated. There are so many movies and documentaries about other cultures and traditions, we have watched them, criticised them and loved them. Therefore the same can be done for 'Inxeba'.
Most people think that the film is about Ulwaluko, the Xhosa initiation ritual. The more interesting moments of this movie and what should be highlighted is how this initiation ritual is made to produce men who are incapable of expressing their true selves. Why should we lock ourselves in this culture, what is so wrong with sharing with the world a piece of ourselves? Yes, the film depicts the social and racial trauma of being a homosexual person in the Xhosa culture, but this should be a learning curve not a road block.
The LGBTQI community exists and lives amongst us. Lets be open minded about the ways of the world, our cultures and beliefs and how we treat each other. I want to watch 'Inxeba-The Wound' without feeling like I'm breaking the laws of my culture and without biasness on the homosexual community.
Source: MSN entertainment
Link:https://www.msn.com/en-za/entertainment/movies/opinion-no-%e2%80%98inxeba%e2%80%99-isn%e2%80%99t-a-disrespectful-gay-sex-romp/ar-BBJMjHa?ocid=spartanntp_edu
people are so worried about irrelevant things. The movie doesn't focus on culture but ones true self and people are over reacting about the entire issue. This movie should be given a break, lets just watch it and see what happens
ReplyDeleteNicely written . This is exactly how I feel
ReplyDeleteIts sad that the movie has been banned because it highlights a lot of issues that we face as the Xhosa community , but lets not turn a blind eye to the fact that they kinda showed us (women) a part of our culture which was deemed sacred (meaning that we should never know what happens in the bushes).We might as well just perform the ritual "ulwaluko" in our back yards.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to feel about the movie..... I have a lot of mixed emotions about it and I have not seen it yet.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing learning about other people's culture, I really don't understand why this movie is burned
ReplyDeleteEvery story deserves to be heard.
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog, my sentiments exactly.
ReplyDeleteAll movies about cultures need to be sensitively made. Certain things need to be respected and certain things probably need to remain a cultures' own. I don't know why it was banned ( this doesn't just happen ) but clearly some line was crossed.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy it was banned , women are not supposed to see what is happening'' ENTABENI. We will start to disrespect our men once we know everything.
ReplyDeleteIts so sad on how this 'initiation ' is kept a secret. It's a process to be proud of that I think should be shared with everyone to see. Right now all we are in 'ukuluka' is death of our boy's futures and respectful men. I personally think that this movie is a great way of showing the world what a beautiful culture we have.
ReplyDeleteI really don't get the exact reason for banning of this movie because we have a right to show our different cultures
ReplyDeletethis tradition of "ulwaluko" has been around for decades, and its only rule among its participants which is we as Africans has been that its a secret and sacred tradition that only those who participate in it should know its ways, not for the viewing of tourists or media.. The LGBT group can participate in my opinion but not change its ways as we follow rules here. And i believe that the movie focused more on the LGBT group doing what they shouldn't be doing at the initiation. HOW can you be busy promoting dating there instead of focusing more on the criticism and abuse the LGBT group faces at the initiation qha!!!. not show things that have absolutely nothing to do with the abuse that the LGBT group is facing when going to initiation.. I believe that we shouldnt compare who we are as Africans to others. let us keep our ways, and traditions in place. let us not sell our traditions to the media just because other cultures are doing soo.
ReplyDeleteThe article makes compelling remarks at the need to have a more open discussion about the isiXhosa tradition of initiation into manhood according to the rites and doctrines of the amaXhosa people. The banning of the film did catch many by surprise as it was abruptly outlawed in the country. But perhaps we should try and take an objective view of the whole issue at hand and try look at the reasons of the South Africa's film and Publication Board. The Board is bound by law and public policy to refrain from showing or depicting motion pictures that might be sensitive to certain viewers of our country. The Constitution makes provision for certain rights including the right to cultural practices and the cordial rights which cling to it, more importantly, it also makes provision for the limitation of all rights in the Constitution, this is evident from section 36 of the Constitution.
ReplyDeleteSo it is all good and well that we celebrate the cultures that we have in the country, but as with all things this must be done within certain frameworks and guidelines. The views of society need to be balanced and what will ultimately take the country forward must be what is upper most in our minds. At present no one truly or conclusively knows the reasons of the Board to take the film off air. Should they be arbitrary then by all means the movie should be screened and published all over the world, but should the reasons be just and acceptable in terms of our society and the overarching authority that is the Constitution, then the movie has no place being screened anywhere within our borders.
I will continue to watch the movie because i really do not see anything wrong in this movie ,we have watched so many movies showing their cultures and we have loved them .
ReplyDelete