“Masizakhe: Building Each Other” follows a group of dynamic young artists from the Eastern Cape city of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, who are dedicated to the empowerment of their community through cultural activism.
1994 saw political liberation for South Africa, but now there is a need for cultural liberation. The role of today’s cultural activists is to liberate the minds of a people who have been oppressed for centuries under colonialism and its most recent form of apartheid. Author and poet Sindiwe Magona says that the African people “have been left with no tongue of their own… no tongue to call their own.” This documentary follows everyday heroes who are reclaiming their history and actively participating in building a future of inclusion. Their tools are spoken word, music, poetry, Hip-Hop culture, and the arts.
Interviews with teachers and principals who were political activists in the 1980s and early 1990s reveal the similarities between the political struggle of the apartheid years and the cultural struggle of today. Some of these teachers are working with cultural activist groups by bringing them into the classroom to help educate people about themselves.
Directed by
Angelica and Scott Macklin
Production Company
Open Hand Reel