Felix

South Africa as it Lives and Breathes This film was written, directed and shot in and around Cape Town. Most of the scenes take place on location in a black township called Langa, where a young boy seeks to connect with his dead father by learning about his life as a very successful jazz saxophone player. Despite his mother's determination to keep him away from the bars and the liquor that is so much of the jazz world, young Felix fights back and finds support in the community. The film is notably written, directed and edited by women and offers a happy production that can appeal to family audiences and those who are just curious about the world of South Africa now, twenty years since the election of Mandela. Both the child actors and the older musicians offer amazing talent and the film has already been recognized for several international awards. Note that some of the film requires reading subtitles, but the youngsters in the audience I saw it with, didn't seem to miss a beat.

This film was written, directed and shot in and around Cape Town. Most of the scenes take place on location in a black township called Langa, where a young boy seeks to connect with his dead father by learning about his life as a very successful jazz saxophone player. Despite his mother's determination to keep him away from the bars and the liquor that is so much of the jazz world, young Felix fights back and finds support in the community. The film is notably written, directed and edited by women and offers a happy production that can appeal to family audiences and those who are just curious about the world of South Africa now, twenty years since the election of Mandela. Both the child actors and the older musicians offer amazing talent and the film has already been recognized for several international awards. Note that some of the film requires reading subtitles, but the youngsters in the audience I saw it with, didn't seem to miss a beat.