LAUNDRY played at SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival), and I had the opportunity to see it while attending. Here’s my spoiler-free take:
LAUNDRY is a calling card for the director, Zamo Mkhawanazi. Her style, narrative tone, and confidence behind the camera help tell a powerful story about apartheid in South African communities in 1968.
Strong performances across the board ground the film. Specifically, Ntobeko Sishias as Khuthala and Siyabonga Shibe as Enoch. Their family dynamic and the sacrifices they make are enough to bring any audience member and critic to tears.
Where LAUNDRY falls short is in its simplistic narrative structure. The storytelling follows a fairly standard path and doesn’t do anything new. Even though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, the story’s power is enough to leave a lasting impact on audiences. Especially, a music-making sequence that captures the joy and power of healing through song. Although it isn’t the film’s main theme, I would’ve loved to see more musical moments to balance out the heaviness of the main apartheid story.
Final Thought: LAUNDRY is a powerful film worthy of a ‘spin’ cycle, aka check it out once it secures wider distribution.
LAUNDRY had its U.S. premiere as the closing-night film at SBIFF on Sat 2/14.
