Culture

Directed Michael Davie
(5/5)

Filmed at one of South Africa’s most dangerous prisons, The Choir is a documentary that gives incredible insight into the lives of prisoners. The main subject of the film is 19-year-old Jabulani, who has been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for robbery. Jabu is in some ways a normal teenage boy. The posters on his cell wall include his idols, Nelly and Shaggy, as well as one scantily-clad bikini babe. But Jabu has experienced more than most 19-year-old boys you would know. Over the past few years, he has been shot twice, stabbed twice, and assaulted. Now in prison, his daily reality is inescapable violence and intimidation. He tells us that in jail, “If you are soft, you will become another man’s wife. He will sodomise you in return for his protection against others.”
Luckily for him, there is a sanctuary within Leeukwop. Jabu joins the prison choir, a group of men and boys who look after each other and set a positive example for other inmates. The choir is led by father figure Coleman, who is in for 20-something years for a series of bank robberies. He’s not a bad guy – he just “loves money.” Coleman leads the choir in preparation for the National Prison Choir competition. The guys in the choir are having a great time; some of them even like life in prison with their choir mates better than life outside.
A somewhat depressing yet ultimately uplifting story, The Choir is the best documentary I have seen in a while. The sad personal stories are tempered by the abundance of footage of the singing, dancing, and smiling choir members and their colourful prison outfits. Go and see this film: it will make you appreciate your own fabulous life, and maybe even elicit a few tears. It is screening now at the Metro Cinema.