U-Carmen eKhayelitsha

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U-Carmen eKhayelitsha

Directed by	Mark Dornford-May
Produced by	Mark Dornford-May, Camilla Driver, Ross Garland
Written by	Mark Dornford-May, Andiswa Kedama
Starring	Pauline Malefane
Music by	Georges Bizet
Distributed by	Koch-Lorber Films
Release date(s)	13 February 2005 (premiere at BIFF) April 1, 2005 April 21, 2006 March 28, 2007 (New York City)
Running time	120 min.
Country	South Africa
Language	Xhosa
Budget	$686,033 (est.)
IMDb profile

U-Carmen eKhayelitsha is a 2005 South African operatic film directed and produced by Mark Donford-May.

1 Synopsis
2 Golden Bear award
3 Cast
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Synopsis

The movie is a modern remake of Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen. It is shot entirely in Xhosa, and combines both music from the original opera with traditional African music. It takes place in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsha. It was translated into Xhosa by Andiswa Kedama and Pauline Malefane, who also play Amanda and Carmen in the movie.

The movie tells the story of a cigarette factory-worker, Carmen, and her doomed love affair with police sergeant Jongikhaya.

[edit] Golden Bear award

The film won critical acclaim when it won the Golden Bear at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival.

[edit] Cast

Carmen - Pauline Malefane
Nomakhaya - Lungelwa Blou
Jongikhaya - Andile Tshoni
Manelisa - Noluthando Boqwana

[edit] See also

Other black adaptations of Carmen:

Carmen Jones (1954), set in 1950s USA and directed by Otto Preminger with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Karmen Geï (2001) a French adaptation set in modern day Dakar by Senegalese director Joseph Gaï Ramaka
Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001), an MTV production from 2001 starring Beyoncé Knowles set in Philadelphia and Los Angeles in modern times.