DISTRICT SIX RISING FROM THE DUST
now streaming on Amazon Prime
The memory of District Six is as iconic to Cape Town as Table Mountain.
It is remembered as a cosmopolitan neighbourhood, and a hub of art, music and culture. It is the neighbourhood right next to Cape Town’s cbd.
In 1960 District Six was declared a whites only area. This declaration was formalised with the Apartheid Group Areas Act of 1966 advocating the “Divide and Rule” ideology.
It is estimated that approximately 60 000 to 80 000 people were forcibly removed from District Six. The director moved into the neighbourhood in 2013, in a house restituted to her family.
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Trailer
District Six is a part of the collective memory of my city, Cape Town.
Young and old have heard tales of District Six. I grew up listening to stories of this iconic place and it’s vibrancy.
My grandparents, and Mother always spoke fondly of District Six, however, very rarely spoke of the forced removals. Aside, from the oral traditions, my understanding of District Six was informed by plays such as “District Six The Musical” and “Kat and the Kings” by David Kramer and Taliep Petersen.
I moved into the neighbourhood in 2013, in a house restituted to my family.
The move awoken scars which I never knew existed, intergenerational scars.
For the first time I truly understood the impact of forced removals and the legacy of what was disrupted. It awoken a deeper understanding of what my family had lost and the direct impact of Apartheid’s segregatory laws.
About
Weaam Williams, is a screen-writer, director , actress and poet. She found her voice as a woman and activist using cinema.
Weaam, is a multi-disciplinary artist who works with poetry, music and film. She started in the film and TV industry as a screen-writer for a popular South African youth drama series called Soul Buddyz, whilst occupying the theatre space as a poet and performer.
Her documentary directorial debut, Hip-Hop Revolution, had its International Premiere at Silverdocs in 2007 where it was a Jury shortlist for “Best Music Film”. It won the Best Edited Film Award at NYC Reel Sisters Film Festival in 2008, and was broadcasted in 28 countries.
In 2009-2013 she undertook an independent filmmaking project titled “A Khoe Story Docu-Trilogy”, a documentary series about the language, genocide and remaining culture of South Africa’s indigenous people, broadcasted on the SABC.
Weaam undertook, her feature documentary, District Six Rising from the Dust in 2013 after moving into District Six, with her cinematographer husband, Nafia Kocks. The move and film simultaneously awoken an understanding of intergenerational pain and dispossession.
This film won an Award of Excellence from the Scandinavian International Film Festival 2018, and was the Special Mention at Cape Town International Film Festival for Best SA Documentary 2018.
Her most recent project “Two Hues” is a short narrative film which she wrote, co-directed and stars in, and is her first fiction project as a director. This film looks at the ambiguous identity of Muslim women living in a western context, and the duality of patriarchy, whilst making a statement against gender based violence. Two Hues was completed in July 2020 and has gained the support of the NFVF of SA to be developed into a feature.
Weaam showcased a work in progress “The Rise” at the Doc Corner in Cannes 2019, which is another documentary project in the pipeline to be released in 2023 supported by the SA Department of Arts and Culture and NFVF.
