The Wound (2017 film)

The story tracks a closeted relationship between two men in the context of the Xhosa initiation ritual of Ulwaluko. Xolani, a factory worker, joins the men of his community at the annual ceremony in the mountains of Eastern Cape. In addition to serving as a mentor to the initiates, Xolani looks forward to the event as it provides him the opportunity to reestablish his sexual and romantic relationship with Vija. When Xolani is assigned to be the mentor of Kwanda, a young man from Johannesburg, he quickly realizes that Kwanda is also gay, and Kwanda soon realizes the nature of the relationship between Vija and Xolani. Tensions soon emerge between the three. ==Cast==

• Nakhane as Xolani • Bongile Mantsai as Vija • Niza Jay Ncoyini as Kwanda • Siphosethu "Seth Singer" Ngcetane as Nkosi • Loyiso Lloyd N Ngqayana as Vija's Initiate • Sibabalwe Esbie Ngqayana as Zuko • Halalisani Bradley Cebekhulu as Lukas • Inga Qwede as Ncedo == Production ==

Inspiration for The Wound came after director John Trengove read A Man Who is Not a Man, a novel by Thando Mgqolozana on the topic of the Xhosa initiation ceremony. Trengove wished to challenge the notion that homosexuality was a product of western culture that posed a threat to traditional African culture. The film received funding from the National Film and Video Foundation. Cultural experts were consulted to ensure the authenticity of the material. == Reception ==

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89%, based on 44 reviews with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Wound uses its complex, timely story as effective grist for a thought-provoking exploration of the human dynamic." Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Accolades Inxeba received 19 awards at 44 festivals worldwide; received eight South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA) nominationsm and won five including Best Feature Film, Best Actor in a Feature Film, Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film, Best Achievement in Directing in a Feature Film, and Best Achievement in Editing in a Feature Film and was short-listed for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category. Controversy The film has been accused of portraying secretive initiation rituals. However, other media covering the same topic, like Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom, have not received similar criticism, leading to accusations that complaints about the film are instead motivated by homophobia. The Democratic Alliance criticised the decision of the Appeal Tribunal, characterising it as "nothing short of censorship" by "patriarchs and homophobes". FPB classifiers themselves have concluded that the Appeal Tribunal's rating amounted to unlawful censorship based on homophobia. Urucu Media, the producers of Inxeba, and the SA Screen Federation challenged the film's X18 rating in court, on the basis that they were denied an opportunity to make representation to the Tribunal, and that the Appeal Tribunal's decision was incompatible with the principles of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. In June 2018 the court overturned the Appeal Tribunal's decision and restored the original rating of 16LS. ==See also==