Jeppe on a Friday

Arya Lalloo
2013-06-29

Five people experience joys and struggles in a neighborhood of Johannesburg, South Africa.
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87 min

Part travelogue, part urban allegory – and a fresh perspective on Jozi. Filmmakers Lalloo and Walsh, drawing on a rich tradition of city- centred direct cinema practitioners, bring together a team of women directors, and offer a curious record of life in urban Jozi that de-mystifies the oft-maligned metropolis. Shot over the course of a single day and along the length and breadth of Jeppe, we meet 5 charming characters. Familial love is behind Congolese restaurateur Arouna’s success, nostalgia binds Ravi to his dusty framing shop that has been in his family for over 3 decades, ambition drives JJ’s ruthless property development, tradition is at the heart of acapella singer Robert’s all male Zulu choir, and everyday philosophy gives urban recycler Vusi his momentum. In one day these characters reveal the city’s textures and breathe life into the decayed inner city neighborhood.