Synopsis:

The story of Bo-Kaap, South Africa’s oldest Muslim neighbourhood via the intersecting journey of five protagonists against gentrification and the parallel solidarity of an entire community for a FREE PALESTINE.

This feature documentary tells the story of Bo-Kaap, South Africa’s oldest Muslim neighbourhood and it’s fight against gentrification via the inter- secting journey of five protagonists, as well as the parallel fight of the community for a free Palestine. Bo-Kaap’s oldest resident, Hadji Abdiah Da Costa is 98 years old and relays the story of her life, her ancestors and the property she currently resides in located next to the Auwal Mosque in Dorp Street - South Africa’s first Mosque built in 1794. The roots of Islam in South Africa, begin in the 1600’s in the Cape, where the Dutch had brought indentured labourers and political prisoners from the Malay Archipelago, where they had acquired spices. The culture of these ancestors is visible in a neighbourhood called Bo-Kaap, with colourful homes, cobblestone roads, spice shops, mosques and a general Eastern aesthetic.

The Rise captures the inter-generational story of Bo-Kaap via the journeys of five protagonists, who share their story of community, solidarity, identity, access to land pre, during & post covid 19 pandemic. It details three of its central characters solidarity to Palestine over a period of six years, and the simultaneous solidarity of an entire community which reached a climax during the 2023/24 genocide in Gaza, centraling around the protagonists, as well as other activists including a featured interview in Bo-Kaap with Honourable Minister Naledi Pandor. The Rise truly lives up to its name - “For land, for heritage, for the people” - the people of Bo-Kaap, and the people of Palestine.

Director’s profile:

Weaam Williams is a South African screen-writer, director , actress and poet. She studied a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Cape Town, as well as camera and editing at Cape Town’s only community film school, CVET. She has found her voice as a woman and activist using cinema. Her documentary directorial debut, Hip-Hop Revolution, won the Best Edited Film Award at NYC Reel Sisters Film Festival in 2008 with Spike Lee as Head of Jury, and has been broadcasted in 28 countries. The film had its international Premiere at Silverdocs in 2007. Weaam un- dertook District Six Rising from the Dust (62 min) in 2013 after moving into District Six, with her cinematographer husband, Nafia Kocks, when returning from New York where she participated as a juror at the International Emmys. On completion in 2020, “District Six Rising from the Dust” won four international awards, including “Best Documentary”, Wales International Film Festival and an “Award of Excellence”, Scandinavian Inter- national Film Festival. It is now streaming in multiple territories on Prime Video. Her most recent project “Two Hues” is a short narrative film which she wrote, co-directed and stars in. This film via a protagonist who suffers from bi-polar disorder, looks at the ambiguous identity of Muslim women living in a western context, and the duality of patriarchy. Two Hues, picked up five awards while touring the festival circuit in 2021, including “Best Lead Actress” and “Best Women Empowerment Film”, Berlin Short Film Festival. The Two Hues feature film screenplay was selected to pitch at Cannes NEXT 2022, a platform dedicated to forecasting the next European box office successes.

Producer’s Profile:

Munier Parker, was born and raised in Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, and is a product of Cape Town’s only
community film school, CVET. He trained in all spheres of production under some of South Africa’s industry big names. At present Munier works mostly as a director of drama, documentary, studio multi cam and lifestyle
and entertainment programming. He was commissioned by Discovery Channel to direct a documentary that deals with the issues and struggles a black under 19 boys rugby team face when they enter the white leagues. The film explored how South African youth were coming to terms with the scrapping of apartheid and how this impacted on their lives. Subsequent to this Munier has worked as director on numerous productions and estab- lished his own company in 1998, X CON Films. The company has managed to grow in a very competitive market in Cape Town and has numerous television productions under its belt, including a weekly Islamic TV show on the national broadcaster SABC for almost 2 decades. X CON Films has been around for 25 years and continues to produce programming of a high calibre that challenges perceptions of communities and engages them in dialogue. Munier’s career spans 26 years in the film industry and is both an accomplished as well as seasoned director and producer. X CON Films under the leadership of Munier has grown into a prominent black production company in the Western Cape, as well as the oldest operating black owned production company in Cape Town.
Munier’s philosophy is underpinned by the following quote and it puts into context what and how he feels about him living his dream: “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.” Kahlil Gibran.