United Nations Association Film Festival
Stanford, California
Screenings will take place:
October 22-31, 2010. Showtimes: TBD
ETC Crew and The ARK
Soccer Stunts from South Africa Street Soccer Docum on Vimeo.
Yesterday, Demetrius and I spent the morning and early afternoon at The Ark, a community for individuals dealing with homelessness and/or addictions. It is a fenced in community in the township of Khayalitcha that has been around since the mid 80s and now has a full school, provides housing for families, men, women and children, offers rehabilitation programs, meals for the students, athletic and creative opportunities, as well as social gatherings. It is entirely volunteer led by individuals who have come through the programs and community there. Riaan and Thapelo, two players on the Homeless World Cup team live at The Ark.
ETC Crew
In the afternoon, we went to film the ETC Crew in their studio and captured three of their tracks. Demetrius and I are excited to use this music and footage to support the rest of the story. I’d tell you how, but then you’d have nothing to look forward to….
This morning we got up and spent some time at the team’s practice. They are still down one man due to sickness, and Rasta, their keeper, has injured one of his thumbs and is a bit slower than usual. It is not looking promising that Martin will be able to go to Australia. The closer the Homeless World Cup gets, the less likely it is that the pieces will come together in time.
Riaan at Practice
Tonight, we headed to Zula on Long Street for the ETC Crew’s show. The house was packed–we were on the second floor of the building and the floors were shaking as the crowd jumped and danced along with the crew. I can’t lie, there were moments where my mind drifted to pictures of the floor caving in and what kind of stories they’d tell my mother when the news hit. It was nothing but good energy, however, and the guys put on a great show. They have a solid following who are full of energy and excitement.
All in all, it’s been a great few days and we have a packed week coming up, as well. Stay tuned….
Martin Afrika
Martin's first home
This morning we went to MyLife to meet Martin Afrika. There are still many complications concerning his legal identity, ID card and passport. Without proof that he exists and is a South African citizen, he cannot get employment, purchase a car, purchase or rent his own home or travel. The hospital he was born in shows that he was born on the same day on two different years and cannot verify his birth. The school that he grew up in burnt down and lost all their records. Many members of his family have passed away or are no longer in communication with him. He has been in the Department of Home Affairs office every day for the last two and a half months trying to sort this situation out.
After venturing to the Department of Home Affairs with him, Martin took us to the MyLife house where he lives. After visiting his current home, Martin took us to several of the places he lived for over 15 years on the streets. He left his home to live on the streets when he was ten years old due to abuse in his home. Over the last 20 years, he has also spent several in prison before trying to make positive changes to his life.
At the Quarry
The first place he took us was in the side of a mountain. It’s known as the Quarry. He took us on a detailed tour of the area, where he slept, where he made fires to burn the rubber off of copper wires in order to sell the metal, and introduced us to several of the people he lived with and made money with. There is no way Demetrius and I would’ve been able to be there, as Americans, with huge cameras on our own. At one point, while Demetrius was closely filming Martin, I turned around and saw a young man looking at us and twirling a gun in his hand.
Afterwards, we went to an unfinished bridge that Martin used to sleep under. Well, more like sleep inside. There were holes in the top of the bridge and twenty or so people could climb into these holes and sleep between the upper and lower levels of concrete on this bridge. On one side, it is connected to the highway. On the other, it just ends and people apparently have fallen off or been thrown off of the end. Because people can only enter from one side, Martin said it was safer than many places but it was dangerous because if anyone did come, there was no where to run to.
Martin on the bridge
The third place he took us was the first place he ever lived when he moved to the streets at age 10. It was under a highway overpass and clearly people are still staying there. He lived there for many years and told us the stories of transitioning from one side of the bridge to the other, why the first side was better and safer because it was harder to get to and it was close to a fence that opens to train tracks, which was a good place to jump and hide. Behind the bridge was an area that he used to hang his clothes to dry and he would go to chill out when he was stressed, if he was having problems with his girlfriend, etc.
Finally, we took Martin back to his house, where he has lived for the last 2-3 months. Once he joined the soccer league, he moved off the streets. He believes soccer changed his life and the volunteers at MyLife claim they’ve never seen such a swift success story before. Once he got onto the team, he stopped using drugs all together–after having used them since he was 13. He captains a team of younger homeless guys, is in charge of maintaining the food in his house and is clearly a leader among his peers. I can’t imagine what circumstances were like for him on the streets for so many years and from such a young age. The community is now rallying around him, hoping these changes last in his life and that he is able to move forward in the positive ways he hopes to. Getting a proper ID and affirmation that he does exist, I think, will be a helpful step in that direction.
Martin's bedroom at MyLife
It takes a village
We have now been gathering stories for two weeks. Stories of artists and athletes, young people who have lived or are living on the streets, educators, community developers and the like. One of the most interesting things so far has been to see the similar topics that are addressed by each community and to hear their perspectives coming from sometimes very different points of view. Ideas of what South Africa is today, what has transitioned since the end of apartheid and what has remained, who can be trusted or seen as “safe” have all been addressed in one way or another and are pertinent issues to each community.
Yesterday, Demetrius and I spent some time at a local NGO, MyLife, where several of the players of the Western Cape Street Soccer League are connected and have found rehabilitation. Martin and Rasta are both a part of MyLife and have opportunities for projects and work lined up for them upon their return from Australia.
Several of the guys from the team were at MyLife when we visited. Many of them are coming down with physical ailments of one sort or another. Sandile was laid out on the couch and was taken to the hospital after we left. Martin’s eyes were swollen, almost shut. Linzy shared several stories with us of past students that came down with sometimes severe ailments before opportunities to leave the country for the first time. Her thought was that it is most likely adrenaline and nerve based in anticipation of such a big transition and that once they leave, they will be fine.
Linzy Thomas
Traveling the world is a big transition for anyone. For these players, the idea of traveling to Australia and playing on a team that represents their country as a whole is daunting, at times. Yet, in the midst of day jobs, families, organizations to run, lives to live, the leaders of these organizations are running around town, finding students to complete paperwork, drive them to practice, organize practice games, provide meals, take the players to hospitals and prisons and where they need to go in order to get all their ducks in a row to be a part of this team and to travel the world. The village is gathering round and I believe these guys are on the brink of something special.
A New Perspective of Cape Town
Today was an absolutely beautiful day. The sun shone brightly over Cape Town. Demetrius and I took advantage of the weather in order to get some establishing shots of the city and took a helicopter ride over the coast to get some aerial shots. It was stunning. The water was a cool, bluish-green, splashing onto the rocks below. Table Mountain and the 12 Apostles mountain range shot up into the perfect sky, surrounded by puffy, white clouds while we flew in a helicopter over it all.
After roaming the city, cameras in tow, we met up with The Rudimentals, a Capetonian ska/reggae/dancehall band, to work out the details of our collaboration for the soundtrack and to get an interview with a few of their members. We’re excited to have them on board as a part of this project!
Welcome to Cape Town
Singing in Cape Town from South Africa Street Soccer Docum on Vimeo.
Martin Afrika
Upon arrival in Cape Town we met up with David Abrahams, who runs the Western Cape Street Soccer League, and joined him as he traveled to Atlantis, a community where Vuyo, one of his young players lives, to get some paperwork signed that will allow him to play in the Homeless World Cup. Atlantis is a Colored community and without any traffic is about an hour outside of Cape Town. Most of the residents of Atlantis work in Cape Town and commute on community-devised public transportation every day.
David is the volunteer president for the Western Cape Street Soccer League. He has a full time job yet spends full time hours also making sure these boys have everything they need to get to the Homeless World Cup, pursues them when they go missing, and works with local NGOs who provide support to the players outside of practice and games. After running to Atlantis, we stopped by MyLife, a local NGO, to check out paperwork on the prison records of two of the team’s key players.
Martin Afrika is the captain of the team. He has been living on the streets since he was a little boy and is now almost 30. He’s been in and out of jail several times and is vigorously trying to move his life into a healthy place. Martin is full of smiles and openness to share details of his life story. He shared with us that he struggles to find a place to call home because when he goes back into his old community, they are afraid of him, based on his past behaviors, and he is afraid to get lost in that lifestyle again. He has begun to form a family with his fellow teammates and speaks fondly of them and the bond they are beginning to form as brothers.
There is currently no found record that Martin exists. Right now, he is unsure of whether or not he will be able to make it to Melbourne because he has no birth certificate, no ID card, no proof of when he was born or where he is from. The prison system has not been helpful thus far in providing any records of his stays there and so the hunt is on for his prison records, in hopes that this will prove that he indeed does exist and can get a plane ticket to Melbourne. Martin has made it clear that this soccer team, this trip to Melbourne to play in the Homeless World Cup, are his main life sources right now. This game, this community, are what is keeping him away from drugs and alcohol, what have helped him get into a home, find a roommate and a purpose.
The next few weeks will continue to be packed from dawn until dusk. We have interviews lined up, more shoots and meetings with artists, days spent with individual members of the soccer team and, of course, the journey to Melbourne for the Homeless World Cup. There are many hoops that must be jumped through and details that must be completed for the 8 members of the soccer team to all make it on a flight and to the events in Australia. They are all full of excitement and hope and their community is rallying around them. We are anxiously waiting to see how the rest of the story unfolds.
Interview with Greg Homann and Uju
Today we visited the University of the Witwatersrand to interview professor, Greg Homann on youth in South Africa. Afterwards, Uju came in for an interview. It was helpful to hear various perspectives on this new generation in South Africa, the post-post-Apartheid generation and how they are defining themselves. We will soon be meeting with the players of the 2008 Homeless World Cup team from South Africa and they are all between the ages of 16 and 30, certainly falling into this generation. We are looking forward to beginning the next leg of the journey.
Tomorrow? Off to Cape Town.
Uju
UJU Live from Christina Ghubril on Vimeo.
Today held the stories of a gorgeous rooftop video shoot overlooking Johannesburg, capturing the magic of one of South Africa’s fastest growing bands. If you don’t know Uju, check them out, as I’m sure they will be bursting into the world at large in the next few years. Their new album is in process and is even tighter than their last project.
Check out our collaboration above and have a beautiful day!
THE TEAM
Meet the Players of South Africa’s 2009 Homeless World Cup team.
Vuyo Mehlo currently lives in Phillip, outside of Cape Town, with his grandmother and grandfather. While he was the youngest member of South Africa’s 2008 Homeless World Cup team, he represented his country with pride and focus on the court, often serving as a secret weapon, due to his humble nature yet accurate goals. Vuyo is currently in grade eleven and hopes to study to become a police officer. His desires are to use his life to work towards eliminating the crime and violence in his country and to help those who are struggling. His hopes are to see a crime free South Africa.
Riaan Du Plessis has been playing soccer since 1999 when his family began to live at the Ark City of Refuge in Khayalitcha. Since then, he has built up his skills on the court and is talented when it comes to soccer tricks and fancy footwork. Riaan loves music, as well. He and his brother write music together and freestyle for fun. He is currently twenty years old and is interested in pursuing a career in computers and IT. In his free time, he works fixing computers and recently started back at school to finish grade ten and eleven. He hopes to attend an international university and continue to see the world throughout his life.
Ethan Theys grew up playing field soccer and only began playing street soccer once he was chosen for the Homeless World Cup team. He has enjoyed the challenges of learning to be clever on the court within the rules of street soccer and served his team well in Melbourne. Ethan is seventeen years old and currently lives with his mother outside of Cape Town. His success in soccer and his international opportunities have made him a beacon of hope in his home and community and Ethan works hard to stay out of trouble and to pursue positive opportunities with his life. He recently returned to school to complete grade eleven.
Petros NKomo a.k.a. “Rasta” was born in Soweto, in Johannesburg, and moved to Cape Town for the Homeless World Cup trials. Now, twenty-nine years old, he has been playing soccer since he was very young and says that soccer is in his blood; that when he plays soccer, he feels full, complete, happy. Rasta played keeper–or goalie–for the team and worked incredibly hard to represent South Africa well and with pride while in Melbourne. Having one of the hardest jobs, Rasta had to play every match, the entire match, as he was the only keeper, meaning while at the Homeless World Cup, he had to play three or four matches a day, often against incredibly challenging teams. Not many could get a goal past Rasta. These days, he is training to become a coach to share his abilities with his community.
Sandile Mhlongo grew up in Durban. His guardian passed away when he was a young boy and he has lived on his own since he was eight years old, negotiating life on the street. Now, at age twenty-four, he says that he has since found a new family in his teammates and is thankful for the opportunity he had to go to the Homeless World Cup. He played through the tournament as a starting player, all the while nursing an injury. Full of hope and laughter, Sandile is a strong believer that we must use our chances well in life and he hopes to complete his schooling and go on to be a soccer journalist and photographer.
Sicelo Mrnaji has been playing soccer since he was a small boy and has had several opportunities come his way due to his skill in the game. He was originally chosen to play on the 2007 Homeless World Cup team but was unable to go due to complications in securing his Visa. A strong team member on the court, Sicelo plays a hard game of street ball and represented his country well while in Melbourne. Originally from Khayalitcha, he has been living on the street since he was five, when his older cousin took him into Cape Town and left him there alone. He is now nineteen years old and recently completed his high school education, passing his exams. He hopes to soon enroll in a University and go into sports management. Soccer is his passion because he claims that when he plays, he feels stress free.
Thapelo Kalpens was the 2008 Homeless World Cup team’s co-captain. He has been playing soccer since he was six years old and is now twenty. Currently, Thapelo lives in Woodstock, and has just finished his metric/high school education. Known for dedication to his work and studies, his responsibility, skill, and support of his team, Martin Africa chose Thapelo to take his place as the team’s captain, in his absence. Thapelo enjoyed his first time overseas in Australia and plans to soon attend University to study Engineering.
Martin Afrika was set on being a part of the 2008 Homeless World Cup team and with dedication and hard work during the trials, he stood out so much that he was named the team’s captain. Martin has been living on the street since he was ten years old and now, at thirty-two, he has no record of his birth or existence via identity documents or family. Without identity documents, he was unable to obtain a visa and a passport to travel with the team to Melbourne. Keeping his head up, however, he has committed to continue pursuing his ID papers as well as to stay clean off of drugs and alcohol, find work and take care of his three year old son. Martin is currently in the final round of trials to be a part of the 2009 Homeless World Cup team traveling to Italy.
Kgafela
Today was full of grit and magic. We got up with the sun and traveled to Newtown to snag a few more early morning shots around the Afrika Cultural Centre before filming Kgafela’s videos.
Africa Cultural Centre
The shoot was fantastic. The location has so many options of rooms, hidden areas and magical gardens that we could’ve shot twelve videos there. We ended up getting in three and as the day progressed, so did the community we were working with. Kgafela had organized friends, mentors, mentees, a wild dog, his wife and sons and musicians and by the end of the day, we had quite the crew on set. It was a great day.
Kgafela oa Magogodi
Feya Sista
Returning to Jozi
The Mandela Bridge
Demetrius and I got up with the sun yesterday to get some establishing shots of Newtown.
We met up with world renowned performance poet, Kgafela, as well as several members from the band Uju. We will be filming videos with all of them for the documentary and connected to discuss details of their upcoming shoots.
Kgafela took us to the spot where he wants to film his videos. It is a maze of wide open space, raw, rough details. As part of the Africa Cultural Center it is a historic space that will soon be torn down and remodeled, so we’re excited to capture it before the “upgrade.” Tomorrow’s shoot should be a fantastic first!
Afrika Cultural Center
