{"id":23753,"date":"2025-07-03T17:51:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T15:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/?p=23753"},"modified":"2025-07-03T18:44:44","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T16:44:44","slug":"gods-work-premiering-at-the-46th-durban-international-film-festival-in-south-african-competition-17-27-july-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2025\/07\/03\/gods-work-premiering-at-the-46th-durban-international-film-festival-in-south-african-competition-17-27-july-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;God\u2019s Work&#8221; Premiering At The 46th\u00a0Durban International Film Festival In South African Competition 17-27 July 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong><em>A Portrait of Resilience, a Meditation on Memory, and an Unflinching Gaze&nbsp;Into the Unseen Lives of Those Discarded by The World.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A haunting and visually arresting South African debut feature&nbsp;<strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/title\/2555\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/title\/2555\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">God\u2019s Work<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, by Durban-based award-winning director Michael James, has been selected to be in competition for Best South African Feature, and will have its SA Premiere at this year\u2019s Durban International Film Festival on Sunday 20 July.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the heart of Durban, South Africa, a crumbling building offers a fragile sanctuary to a group of unhoused men surviving on society\u2019s margins.&nbsp;Blurring the line between reality and fiction, the film follows Simphiwe played by SAFTA award-winning actor &nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;Nzuza<\/strong>&nbsp;(<em>eHostela,&nbsp;<\/em><em>Uzalo, DiepCity<\/em>),&nbsp;and his&nbsp;crew&nbsp;as they navigate addiction, poverty, performative politics, and the lure of fleeting fame.&nbsp; With Simphiwe (Thobani Nzuza) fighting demons only he can see, and moving performances by a strong supporting cast,&nbsp;<strong>Mbulelo Radebe, Omega Mncube, Siya Xaba, Zenzo Msomi and Nduduzo Khowa,<\/strong>&nbsp;the film is a raw exploration of survival, brotherhood, and the human desire to be seen before disappearing.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GW014.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GW014.jpg?resize=500%2C282&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GW014.jpg?w=500&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GW014.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">GW014 KHAYA (Zenzo Msomi), LUCKY (Ndu Khowa), SIMPHIWE (Thobani Nzuza), MALUSI (Omega Mncube) and THOBANI (Mbulelo Radebe)<br \/>(photo: supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The plight of the poor and unhoused is a starkly present and concrete problem throughout the world today, and increasingly becoming a political quagmire, but for director James attempting to portray that in&nbsp;<em>God\u2019s Work,<\/em>&nbsp;he believes called \u201cfor storytelling that transcends the conventional narrative of social realism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"God&#039;s Work - trailer\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WmPIUa1ClMs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Inspired whilst filming a documentary about homeless shelters at the Denis Hurley Centre&nbsp;<\/strong>in Durban during the pandemic,<em>&nbsp;<\/em><strong><em>God\u2019s Work&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong>doesn\u2019t ask for pity, it demands attention. It confronts the viewer with the brutal poetry of life on the margins\u2014and the stubborn humanity that persists there. \u201cMy intent is to engage with both the internal and external worlds of the characters,\u201d says James, \u201cand to allow the audience deeper access into the surreal and often troubling recesses of the human mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom the outset,&nbsp;<strong><em>God\u2019s Work<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;stood out for its bold vision and emotional depth, and was always going to be a fascinating filmic challenge. The combination of Michael\u2019s creative vision and Sithabile\u2019s empathetic yet unrelenting approach to the production ethos combined with support from our production team and partners has brought this powerful story to life. We look forward to sharing it with Durban audiences\u201d says Executive Producer, Toni Monty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe film considers what it means to be human in an unjust world,\u201d says Producer Sithabile Mkhize. \u201cIt hopes to contribute to the current conversations within the zeitgeist regarding income inequality, the failures of capitalism, racism, police brutality, class consciousness, and ultimately how all these ideas intersect with the existential realities of life within the African context. This is not just a film about homelessness, it\u2019s a story about power, loss, resistance\u2014and what it costs to stay human in a world that\u2019s abandoned its soul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Produced by Mkhize (SA), co-produced by Marco Orsini (USA), and executive produced by Toni Monty (SA) and Gary Springer (USA),&nbsp;<strong><em>God\u2019s Work<\/em>&nbsp;<\/strong>is written and directed by Michael James &#8211; a Maverick Resistance production in association with the KwaZulu-Natal Film and Tourism Authority, the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, Amafrika Films, and Mojo Entertainment LLC, supported by the Durban Film Office. Award-winning composer, music producer, musician and film producer, West-African born George Acogny has created a deeply emotive score for the film.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GW03.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GW03.jpg?resize=450%2C443&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GW03.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GW03.jpg?resize=300%2C295&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Director Michael James and 1st Assistant Director Lungani Malo&nbsp;<br \/>(photo: supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The film debuts at the Durban International Film Festival on Sunday 20 July at 7pm, at Suncoast Cinecentre. Other screenings take place at the Denis Hurley Centre 26 July at 1pm, Watercrest Sterkinekor Sunday, 27 July at 5pm. There will be screenings at The Bioscope (Johannesburg) on Friday, August 1 at 12 noon, and at the Labia Theatre (Cape Town) on Sunday, 3 August at 12 noon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information follow on social media : Facebook and Instagram: godsworkthefilm or website&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.godsworkthefilm.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">www.godsworkthefilm.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Portrait of Resilience, a Meditation on Memory, and an Unflinching Gaze&nbsp;Into the Unseen Lives of Those Discarded by The World. A haunting and visually arresting South African debut feature&nbsp;God\u2019s Work, by Durban-based award-winning director Michael James, has been selected to be in competition for Best South African Feature, and will have its SA Premiere&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/blog\/2025\/07\/03\/gods-work-premiering-at-the-46th-durban-international-film-festival-in-south-african-competition-17-27-july-2025\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">&#8220;God\u2019s Work&#8221; Premiering At The 46th\u00a0Durban International Film Festival In South African Competition 17-27 July 2025<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23754,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/poster.jpg?fit=450%2C226&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23753\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.samdb.co.za\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}