SAFF: Friendship Bench + Shap Shap

South African Film Festival

Friendship Bench (75min)

In 2006, Dr. Dixon Chibanda, a psychiatrist in Zimbabwe, was ordered by the government to deal with the severe mental health crisis afflicting the nation. However, there was literally a handful of psychiatrists in the entire country, which meant searching for a solution beyond conventional medicine. That forced him to consider grandmothers (Gogos) as his only option. Starting with a group of 14 Gogos, he began training them in cognitive therapy to treat depression on public benches.

By creating a narrative tapestry through the stories of the Gogos and the lives of their clients, the film explores Dr. Dixon’s visionary initiative of establishing a Friendship Bench within communities everywhere. His initiative has since expanded throughout Zimbabwe into neighboring countries and beyond to communities all over the world.

Shap Shap (9min)

After a challenging childhood with his grandmother in a remote village, 13-year-old Mmusi sets off to the township in search of his father. Instead, he’s taken in by a strict Jehovah’s Witness, whose unyielding beliefs leave him feeling out of place. Struggling to fit in, Mmusi ends up homeless, rejected by society. Determined to reunite with his mother in Johannesburg, he faces prejudice and false accusations at every turn. Along the way, unexpected friendships teach him resilience and hope. When he’s offered a scholarship to America, a dream he once thought impossible, he’s forced to confront the reality that without a home, his future remains uncertain. Finding Home is a powerful story of survival, strength, and the search for belonging.

Rating

U

Duration

88 min

Cast

Dr Dixon Chibanda, Kgomotso Sekhu

Director

Reabeste Moeti-Vogt,Kgomotso Sekhu

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