From the same director who did the far more polished Kapana three years later, this film uses some of the same actors as in the subsequent film. However, what is original here is that there are major guest appearances by inmates from the Windhoek correctional facility who play large parts in the story. Moreover, these inmates also devised the storyline and improvised much of the dialogue.
The film is set in a tough world where everyone acts to their own advantage. Poor, innocent Kado arrives there and falls prey to the "28" gang whose reputation is for sodomy. The film portrays, as far as it dare in conservative Namibian society, the realities of power and strength in an underworld criminal milieu where men are confined for years without meaningful companionship as far as relationships go.
Over two years Kado's and the General's fling deepens into affection. There's real tenderness upon Kado's release. However, themes that are dealt with in more depth in Kapana are also touched on here, especially HIV and the illegality of same-sex relationships.
I don't want to add spoilers, but the final ten minutes of the film are pretty devastating and are certainly not a "happy ever after". I wasn't expecting what happened, although I should have been forewarned by some of the themes in the director's later film.
Some of the acting was rough, but I assume the prisoners had never been to drama school! It can all be forgiven for the verisimilitude of the settings, the plot and the dialogue. Top marks for the guys admitting what goes on in a closed institution and then living it on screen with actors from outside.
The film was seventy minutes long and just perfect at this length. There were sixty minutes inside the klink and then a ten minute sort of epilogue that was really perfect for the director, actors and prisoners to get their point across.
Despite the rawness of the film and its deficiencies mentioned above, I recommend it as a progressive and enlightened call for better justice.
