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© 2026 The Couch Critic
Browse 15 movies from The National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa
Set in a bustling bird city on the edge of the majestic Victoria Falls, "Zambezia" is the story of Kai - a naïve, but high-spirited young falcon who travels to the bird city of "Zambezia" where he discovers the truth about his origins and, in defending the city, learns how to be part of a community.
Jun 2012
It's South Africa 1990. Two major events are about to happen: The release of Nelson Mandela and, more importantly, it's Spud Milton's first year at an elite boys only private boarding school. Spud is a boy from an ordinary background who wins a scholarship to a private school in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. Surrounded by boys with nicknames like Gecko, Rambo, Rain Man and Mad Dog, Spud has his hands full trying to adapt to his new home.
Dec 2010
Based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.
Jul 2009
A thriller with supernatural overtones about a man with a medical condition that causes him to black out during moments of extreme stress and leads him to make a remarkable discovery about himself.
Jan 2011
When Chili Ncgobo, an honest but ambitious undercover cop, is cheated out of a major reward by his corrupt superiors, he infiltrates a cash-in-transit heist gang, and instead of busting them, he decides to participate in a one off score. He must face off against his partner who refuses to let him do it and one of the gang members who recognizes him as a cop.
Apr 2014
Frank, a retired hitman, has chosen to disappear and start his life anew as a private taxi driver. He befriends Lucy a young woman working at a shady downtown casino. After losing custody of her child Angela, Lucy is back on a downward spiral of drugs and high-class prostitution. One night she witnesses the murder of one of her clients, a prominent Millionaire in the city. Lucy manages to escape but the killer is out for her blood. She has no one to turn to except Frank her only friend. Frank has only killed for money but now he must kill to protect the only person who never had anybody to stand up for her.
Mar 2024
As Spud Milton continues his awkward stagger through adolescence, he learns one of life's most important lessons: When dealing with women and cretins, nothing is ever quite as it seems. "I'm practically a man in most areas," writes Spud confidently on his sixteenth birthday. The year is 1992 and, in South Africa, radical change is in the air. The country may be on the bumpy road to an uncertain future, but Spud Milton is hoping for a smooth ride as he returns to boarding school as a senior. Instead, he discovers that his vindictive arch enemy is back to taunt him and that a garrulous Malawian has taken residence in his dormitory, along with the regular inmates and misfits he calls friends. Spud's world has never seemed less certain; he attempts to master Shakespeare, wrestles constantly with his God, and the power of negative thinking, and develops an aversion to fried fish after a shocking discovery about his grandmother, Wombat.
Dec 2014
The year is 1991, and Spud Milton's long walk to manhood is still creeping along at an unnervingly slow pace. Approaching the ripe old age of fifteen and still no signs of the much anticipated ball-drop, Spud is coming to terms with the fact that he may well be a freak of nature. With a mother hell-bent on emigrating, a father making a killing out of selling homemade moonshine, and a demented grandmother called Wombat, the new year seems to offer little except extreme embarrassment and more mortifying Milton madness. But Spud is returning to a boarding school where he is no longer the youngest or the smallest. His dormitory mates, known as the Crazy Eight, have an unusual new member and his house has a new clutch of first years (the Normal Seven). If Spud thinks his second year will be a breeze, however, he is seriously mistaken.
Jun 2013
Perfectionist Nandi seems to have the New South African Dream life within her grasp, black female partner in a major firm, marriage, the perfect house - but it all goes up in flames a few months before the wedding. With her friends Zaza and Princess, Nandi will have to find out what truly makes her happy and then fight to get it.
Feb 2016
A young man is forced to confront his limitations, face the ghosts of the past in order to unite a fractured community and realise his dream of leading his town's Christmas Choir Band to former glory.
Jun 2024
The intimate tale of a goddess who tries to win back the affection of her former lover who has moved on in life without her.
Oct 2024
At a barbecue, Ryan’s five-year-old son briefly goes missing. Ryan’s violent reaction to this scare sets off a chain of events and unearths secrets from the past. A journey of self-discovery and forgiveness begins.
Mar 2026
A star athlete has to come to terms with her debilitating grief to regain her confidence and finish her race.
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A young woman who comes from a conservative village must choose between living a lie to stay the perfect Zulu daughter, or risk her life for true love. Nosipho has a secret. She is a loving daughter held up as an example in her community, with a domineering father who has chosen a potential husband for her. But her soulmate and one true love is a woman.
Jul 2022
"Banned" uncovers the compelling story of "Joe Bullet," a groundbreaking 1971 South African action thriller. As the first film to feature an all-black African cast, it faced immediate censorship upon its 1973 release. This documentary delves into the film's tumultuous history, featuring interviews with surviving cast members Abigail Kubeka and Sol Rachilo, producer Tony Van Der Merwe, and banned filmmaker Kevin Harris.
Sep 2024