South Africa / 2006 / 95mins / Drama, Crime / English, Southern Sotho and Zulu

A second chance can change a life. For Manyisa (Mduduzi Mabaso), a convicted thief, a chance at redemption comes along when he is paroled and taken in by a pastor and his family. Pastor Jacob (Mpho Molepo), whose brother Elias died while being part of Bra Stones’ Boys, sees something of his late brother in Manyisa. Jacob’s young son S’bu sets out to befriend Manyisa, nicknaming him Sporro, after a game of soccer that sets to cast a tender bond between the convict and the youngster. Manyisa is unwittingly drawn into assisting with the church choir, and soon finds himself pulled into the closeness of the family and the congregation. A talented mechanic, he also finds a job as a panel-beater with one of the members in Jacob’s congregation. Manyisa has a chance to make a better life for himself, but Bra Stone (Mbongeni Ngema) has other ideas. In debt to Bra Stone, Manyisa has to fall back on his old ways to repay him.

Angus Gibson

Angus Gibson, one of South Africa’s premier documentary filmmakers, is a founding member of Free Filmmakers, a film co-operative established in 1985 to create a relevant South African cinema. Since 1983, when he created his first television drama, he has produced, directed, and co-written numerous highly-acclaimed and internationally award-winning documentary series and TV dramas for British and South African television, including the Heartlines series, Yizo Yizo, and Soweto, a History. He also has a rich documentary feature film experience. He co-directed the Oscar-nominated authorized biography, Mandela, for Jonathan Demme’s production company. His diverse media projects, which include audio-visual contributions to the Apartheid Museum and the Hecter Pieterson Museum, have been influential in the anti-apartheid movement. His latest film Back to the Moon, an award-winning South African film set in 1958 Sophiatown was released in 2019. Learn More