God’s Work a new South African film ventilating the complexities of the homeless

This is a portrait of resilience, a meditation on memory, and an unflinching gaze into the unseen lives of those discarded by the World.

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

This is a new movie that everyone in film circles is talking about. And it is not about the big ideas of trying to solve the pressing issues of the world. However the issue it deals with is equally huge in its small ways. The fact that it is not an issue that you will see on TV or spoken about on mainstream media, including social media is not because it is not huge. But it is an issue which is part of the feature of life everywhere, particularly in urban spaces with its problems of the perennial shortage appropriately priced housing for the poor. South Africa is no exception to these problems of housing the poor, especially in urban areas, and this has resulted in a huge number of the homeless rooming the streets of our suburbs, be it in Rosebank, Melville, Johannesburg Central Business District, literally everywhere, the homeless are a common feature.

They sleep everywhere-in front of shops, under the bridges, in the bushes and on pavements. It is therefore pertinent that a team of local filmmakers are tackling this issue through a movie they have created, and this time instead of other people talking about the plight of the homeless, it is the homeless themselves that are centered by the this film, creating an opportunity to look at the issue of homelessness from the perspectives of those who are in this situation.

Welcome to God’s Work,a haunting and visually arresting South African debut feature by Durban-based award-winning director Michael James, which has been selected to be in competition for Best South African Feature, and will have its SA Premiere at this year’s Durban International Film Festival on Sunday 20 July.

In the heart of Durban, South Africa, a crumbling building offers a fragile sanctuary to a group of unhoused men surviving on society’s margins. Blurring the line between reality and fiction, the film follows Simphiwe played by SAFTA award-winning actor Nzuza (eHostela, Uzalo, DiepCity), and his crew as they navigate addiction, poverty, performative politics, and the lure of fleeting fame.
With Simphiwe (ThobaniNzuza) fighting demons only he can see, and moving performances by a strong supporting cast, MbuleloRadebe, Omega Mncube, SiyaXaba, ZenzoMsomi and NduduzoKhowa, the film is a raw exploration of survival, brotherhood, and the human desire to be seen before disappearing.

The plight of the poor and unhoused is a starkly present and concrete problem throughout the world today, and increasingly becoming a political quagmire, but for director James attempting to portray that in God’s Work, he believes called “for storytelling that transcends the conventional narrative of social realism.”

Inspired whilst filming a documentary about homeless shelters at the Denis Hurley Centre in Durban during the pandemic, God’s Work doesn’t ask for pity, it demands attention. It confronts the viewer with the brutal poetry of life on the margins—and the stubborn humanity that persists there. “My intent is to engage with both the internal and external worlds of the characters,” says James, “and to allow the audience deeper access into the surreal and often troubling recesses of the human mind.”

“From the outset, God’s Work stood out for its bold vision and emotional depth, and was always going to be a fascinating filmic challenge. The combination of Michael’s creative vision and Sithabile’s empathetic yet unrelenting approach to the production ethos combined with support from our production team and partners has brought this powerful story to life. We look forward to sharing it with Durban audiences” says Executive Producer, Toni Monty.

“The film considers what it means to be human in an unjust world,” says Producer SithabileMkhize. “It hopes to contribute to the current conversations within the zeitgeist regarding income inequality, the failures of capitalism, racism, police brutality, class consciousness, and ultimately how all these ideas intersect with the existential realities of life within the African context. This is not just a film about homelessness, it’s a story about power, loss, resistance—and what it costs to stay human in a world that’s abandoned its soul.”

Produced by Mkhize (SA), co-produced by Marco Orsini (USA), and executive produced by Toni Monty (SA) and Gary Springer (USA), God’s Work is written and directed by Michael James – a Maverick Resistance production in association with the KwaZulu-Natal Film and Tourism Authority, the National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa, Amafrika Films, and Mojo Entertainment LLC, supported by the Durban Film Office. Award-winning composer, music producer, musician and film producer, West-African born George Acogny has created a deeply emotive score for the film.

The film debuts at the Durban International Film Festival on Sunday 20 July at 7pm, at Suncoast Cine centre. Other screenings take place at the Denis Hurley Centre 26 July at 1pm, Water crest Sterkinekor Sunday, 27 July at 5pm. There will be screenings at The Bioscope (Johannesburg) on Friday, August 1 at 12 noon, and at the Labia Theatre (Cape Town) on Sunday, 3 August at 12 noon.