HOMECOMING

Origin Country: South Africa
Runtime: 90 MIN
Presentation Format: Beta SP

DIR/SCR Norman Maake PROD Dumisani Dlamini, David Max Brown DP Merlin VanStaden ED Thaven Naidoo, Tongaii Ferusa PROD DES Mmamitse Thibedi MUS Benjamin Willem CAST Tony Kgoroge, Siyabonga Twala, Eric Miyeni, Ntathe Moshesh, Bonnie Henna

Short Note:
Charlie comes home to South Africa in 1996, after twenty years in exile. Welcomed back by his family and childhood friends, Peter and Thabo, all seems well until the past starts to catch up with him. While Charlie meets the family of his dead comrade in arms Boetie, and his relationship with Boetie's wife Carol and her child blossoms, Peter's investigations lead him to implicate Charlie in his friend's death.

Long Note:
Based on the successful South African miniseries, HOMECOMING is centered on the lives of three veterans of the armed branch of the African National Congress (ANC).

After years of exile, three friends return home to post-apartheid South Africa and are surprised to discover that "home" is not the same, and integrating back into South African society will not be easy. Determined to reclaim their lives, they pursue individual paths while maintaining their inseparable friendship. As they each make valiant attempts to regain a sense of normalcy, they are confronted with a shocking revelation that challenges the bonds of their relationship.

The story is inspired by the real life experiences of acclaimed filmmaker and writer, Zola Maseko, who also wrote the film's screenplay.
-Sharifa Johka

Biography:
Norman Maake was born in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1978. He attended AFDA, the African School of Film and Dramatic Arts (now known as The South African School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance). He soon came to understand the power ofcinema and its ability to tell deep stories and change people's lives. While in school, he made the short film Home Sweet Home (1999), depicting the corrupted life of South Africa after its liberation, which received critical acclaim and took second place at the 2001 Transparency International Festival. Prior to graduation, Maake directed his first feature film, SOLDIERS OF THE ROCK, which has been screened at many international film festivals and won several awards, including the Mario van Peebles award in 2005. His most recent production is HOMECOMING, depicting the lives of former South African exiles and is loosely based on the real life experiences of the project's writer, Zola Maseko, who is also a noted South African filmmaker.