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A tribal coming-of-age ritual is the setting for this tough but sensual gay romance

John Trengove’s tough, beguiling debut looks at what happens when queerness throws a wrench in the rusty machinery of traditional masculinity. Set in the mountains of South Africa’s Eastern Cape, it centres on the Xhosa tribe’s circumcision ritual of Ukwaluka, in which young men come of age under the careful watch of their “caregivers”. Co-written with Thando Mgqolozana (whose 2009 novel A Man Who Is Not a Man visits the same subject), it embeds itself in a community of scythe-swinging, dick-slinging machismo.

Xolani or “X” (Nakhane Touré) is a young, closeted factory worker in Queenstown who is assigned as caregiver to a young initiate from the city: sensitive, pouty Kwanda (Niza Jay Ncoyini). “They trust you with the softies,” says a colleague. Kwanda could indeed be called a softie; teased for his expensive shoes,...

Winner of the International Jury Prize at Outfest Los Angeles, the debut feature of director John Trengove comes to the Film Forum in N.Y. August 16 and The Laemmle Royal in L.A. September 8.

“The Wound” by John Trengove has legs, beginning its trek at Sundance World Cinema Competition, proceeding to the Rotterdam Film Fest Tiger Competition and then going onward to the Berlinale Panorama as its Opening Night Film.

In a mountainous corner of the Eastern Cape of South Africa, an age-old Xhosa ritual introducing adolescent boys to manhood continues to this day. Addressing the narrow depiction of black masculinity in South African Cinema, it is a tough and strong film of two men in the midst of the rite of passage of circumcision in which they are caregivers for the male adolescents. And they are also gay, something that must be kept quiet and unsaid.

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The debut feature of director John Trengove comes to theaters in the U.S. August 16, brought to you by Kino-Lorber Films. “The Wound” is the only film ever to world premiere in Sundance, continue into Hivos Tiger Competition in Rotterdam and then play Opening Night at the Berlinale Panorama.

In a mountainous corner of the Eastern Cape of South Africa, an age-old Xhosa ritual introducing adolescent boys to manhood continues to this day.

This is the backdrop for the stark and stirring first feature by John Trengove, in which Xolani, a quiet and sensitive factory worker (played by musician Nakhane Touré), travels to a remote mountain camp in South Africa to tend teenage boys going through a traditional Xhola rite of passage. This year, Xolani is assigned to mentor Kwanda, a coddled Jo’burg boy who challenges the customs of the camp and is ostracized by other initiates. Kwanda, as observant as he is insolent,...

Exclusive: Kino Lorber has acquired the Sundance premiere.

Kino Lorber has acquired all North American rights from Pyramide International to John Trengove’s Panorama selection The Wound.

The drama premiered in Sundance last month and received its European premiere here on Saturday night (Feb 11).

The Wound takes place in the South African province of Eastern Cape, as a lonely factory worker takes time off his job to assist during an annual Xhosa circumcision initiation into manhood.

When he ends up caring for a young initiate, he confides about his closet homosexuality. Openly gay South African singer Nakhane Touré stars and Trengove, Thando Mgqolozana and Malusi Bengu wrote the screenplay.

Kino Lorber plans a summer theatrical release after key festival playdates, followed by VoD and home media roll-out in the fourth quarter.

“The Wound is cinema that transcends national borders and asks quintessential and urgent questions about human nature, sexuality and our most foundational assumptions,” said [link=co...