Teaching Tsotsi: Notes

TEACHING TSOTSI / JUDITH GUNN / BFI JULY 2010 1

Teaching Tsotsi
contents
2 About Tsotsi
3 Awards
4 Biographies
5 Context
6 ‘Thug’
7 Activity: Protagonist/Antagonist
8 Narrative
9 Activity: Narrative Viewing Sheet
10 Themes
12 Audience
13 Industry
14 Teaching Tsotsi: Scheme of Work
16 Tsotsi mindmap
17 Stereotypes


About Tsotsi Presley Chweneyagae: Tsotsi

Set in contemporary own brutal nature and face the Tsotsi
Johannesburg, in the township consequences of his actions. It
Directed by Gavin Hood
of Soweto – where, post- puts a human face on both the
Written by Athol Fugard
Apartheid survival is still a victims and the perpetrators of
difficult and fraught process violent crime and is ultimately Cast
for many South Africans, who a story of hope and a triumph of Tsotsi: Presley Chweneyagae
struggle to get out of poverty. love over rage. Butcher: Zenzo Nggobe
Tsotsi traces six days in the life The film is both violent and Boston: Motusi Mogano
of a ruthless young gang leader thoughtful, it reflects the reality Aap: Kenneth Nkosi
whose life of crime brings him of living in the slums of Soweto Miram: Terry Pheto
to a crossroads that involves his but it also offers glimpses of the Fela: Zola
own self discovery as a caring new South Africa as it struggles John: Rapulana Seiphemo
human being. with the widening gap between Pumla: Nambitha Mpumlwana
Tsotsi is a gritty and moving the haves Soekie: Thembi Nyandeni
portrait of a typically angry and the have Zuma: Percy Matesemela
young man who is alienated nots – in a Smit: Ian Roberts
from family, friends and the land where
The UK Film & TV Production
world around him. He has no the colour
Company PLC
access to the new South Africa of your
Industrial Development Corporation of
so he seeks to take it with skin is no South Africa
violence and threat. longer the The National Film and Video
The film is a psychological definition Foundation of SA
thriller in which the protagonist of your Moviworld (in association with)
is compelled to confront his character. Tsotsi Films


AWARDS
Speech by Gavin Hood, director ACADEMY AWARD
of Tsotsi, accepting the Academy Best Foreign Language Film of the Year (2006)
Award for Best Foreign Language BAFTA 2006 Nomination
The Carl Foreman Award
Film of the Year (2006) Film Not In The English Language.
Pan African Film and Arts Festival 2006 Award
“God bless Africa. Wow. I have a speech, Jury Prize for Best Feature
it’s in my pocket, but that thing says 38 Santa Barbara Film Festival 2006 Award
seconds. But mine’s way too long. Go to Audience Award
tsotsi.com and there is a huge long list of Thessaloniki Film Festival 2005 Award
people. Because I’m accepting this not for Independence Day section, Greek Parliament’s Human
Values Award
myself. This is for best foreign language
Denver International Film Festival 2005 Award
ﬁlm. It is sitting right there to start with.
Audience Award
Please stand up Presley Chweneyagae
Cape Town World Cinema Festival 2005 Award
and Terry Pheto. My two fantastic young Critics Jury Award
leads. Put the cameras on them, please. St. Louis International Film Festival 2005 Award
Viva Africa. Viva. I’ve got ten seconds. Audience Choice Award
Ten seconds Los Angeles AFI Film Festival 2005 Award
I just want to thank my fellow nominees Audience Award
who I’ve become deep friends with. We The Toronto International Film Festival 2005 Award
may have foreign language ﬁlms, but People’s Choice Award
our stories are the same as your stories. The Edinburgh International Film Festival 2005 Award
The Michael Powell Award For Best New British Feature
They’re about the human heart and
emotion. It says please wrap. Thank you Film Standard Life
Audience Award
so much. Thank you to the Academy.
Thank you.”
Presley Chweneyagae, Nelson Mandela, Terry Pheto: by Helen Kuun, Sterkinekor


Biographies
Athol Fugard – In 1998 Gavin
made his 35mm
Writer film directing
Tsotsi is the only novel ever debut with a 22-
written by the prolific playwright minute short called
Athol Fugard. Written in the The Storekeeper.
early 1960’s around the time of The film went on
his first stage success, The Blood to win thirteen
Knot, and set in the 1950’s, it international film
remained unpublished until festival awards
1980, by which time plays of including the
Fugard’s like Boesman and Grand Prize at
Lena, Sizwe Banzi is Dead and the Melbourne
Master Harold and the Boys International
had become big international Film Festival in
stage successes. Australia.
Next he won a
Gavin Hood – Diane Thomas Presley
Screenwriting Award for his
Director first screenplay, A Reasonable
Chweneyagae –
After graduating with a degree Man. The script was inspired by Tsotsi
in law in South Africa, Gavin a case of ritual murder. Judges Presley has had no formal
worked briefly as an actor before included Steven Spielberg, drama training. Prior to
heading to the US to study Michael Douglas. At the 2000 landing the lead role of
screenwriting and directing at Sundance Film Festival, Gavin Tsotsi, he acted in school
UCLA. was named by Variety as one of plays and in community
Gavin returned to South their “Ten Directors To Watch.” theatre projects. He has
Africa where he got his first Gavin has gone on to direct performed in a number of
writing and directing work X-Men Origins: Wolverine, in productions for North West
making educational dramas, production is Tough Trade and Arts (now known as the
Gavin won one Artes Award (a a little trivia is that he took a Mmabana Arts Foundation)
South African Emmy) and was brief role as bad guy Anubis in and appeared in A
nominated for another. the TV series Stargate SG1. Midsummer Night’s Dream
(as Puck) and in the play
Cards at the Grahamstown
Arts Festival. He made his
TV acting debut in 2000
in Orlando for SABC TV.
Tsotsi is his first feature
film.

Gavin Hood


Context
Scramble for Africa South Africans, as “apart-hate” demonstrations fed the battle
because pronounced thus; against apartheid
In one of the more sour ironies
its true meaning is exposed. In 1990 Nelson Mandela
of European and African history,
It refers to the philisophy of was released from prison and
the justification for what became
separation, which, in theory, was soon to take his place
known as the “Scramble for
meant that different cultures as president of South Africa,
Africa” was the attempt by the
could live side by side without majority rule had come at last to
British and others to stamp
interference. In practice, it South Africa.
out slavery, a trade that they,
meant the subjugation of the
themselves had indulged in
since the 16th century. Between
black majority to the will of Why is this
the white minority. The black
1562 and 1807 European ships
majority could not decide where
relevant?
took more than 11 million While most people would
they lived, what they owned
people from the continent of accept that any good film
(only in Sofiatown could blacks
Africa. Even so, as late as 1870, should be able to stand up to
own their own property). They
only 10% of the land mass was examination because of its
did not have access to good jobs,
occupied and held by European ability to communicate beyond
to certain parts of the city, or the
countries. its localised themes, it is also
land or to good water fountains,
David true that almost
Livingstone every text is
was someone a product of
who combined the influences
those ideas in that shape its
his own personal culture. The
philosophy original story
of Africa. He of Tsotsi was
believed that the set in the late
only salvation 1950s, at the
for the African height of the
continent were injustices of
the three “C’s”: apartheid. The
civilisation, film, however,
Christianity is set in a
and commerce, Nelson Mandela: LSE LIbrary CC
post-apartheid
and since then South Africa which allows the
bus rides or toilets.
commerce, if not Christianity, modern Tsotsi the opportunity
Throughout the Sixties,
has dominated the rich to represent themes that are
Nelson Mandela and other
countries’ relations with African common to many young people
members of the African
countries, almost always to the and black young people around
NationalCongress, founded
detriment of that resource rich the world, but it is, nevertheless
after the Boer war and formed
continent. a film born of the history of
into the ANC in 1923 were
Africa and more specifically
imprisoned on
Apartheid Robben Island and for 27
South Africa.

The word “apartheid” is, in years the trade sanctions, For more go to http://news.bbc.
fact, pronounced by most sport and music bans and co.uk/1/hi/world/8508592.stm


‘Thug’
Stereotypes and poverty are secondary to colour understanding and compassion.
and nationality. The principle of Tsotsi is to
Tsotsi Moreover Tsotsi the novel, reveal to its audience that no
In the opening sequence of was written as a representation thug or tsotsi, is a nameless
Tsotsi the audience is presented of an already established human being and Tsotsi’s name
with a classic stereotype. The stereotype. The zootsuited thugs is David.
scene opens as Tsotsi, flanked that ranged the townships in the It is in the characterisation
by three others, marches down 1950s drew their identity and of individuals that, what
the street. The close up is on their type from American films. appears to be the stereotypical
his face, a low angle to signify The stereotypes in Tsotsi representation, becomes
his power. He is clearly in break down further though, a character. It is also in
control, he is not, however a so that in the end they are challenging the assumptions
tribal stereotype, his clothing no longer stereotypes but that people have about
and his look, are those of stories of individuals that stereotypes that more is learned
any urban young man, only the film portrays with great about the individuals.
the language gives away the
location.
Tsotsi is every bit the black
It’s All in the Name
urban stereotype, an angry
young man, a thug – a thug by The name Tsotsi means “thug”
nature and a thug by name for and in a strange irony it has its
that is the meaning of Tsotsi. roots in cinema representations.
His very name conjures up In his autobiography The Long
a South African stereotype Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela
remembers and defines the tsotsis
that covers the gangs of the
as fedora-wearing gangsters,
shanty towns, young men who
who imitated the roles of James
run feral in the streets of the
Cagney and Charles Laughton, in
townships and who raid the
the fear inducing gangster noirs of
more genteel areas of suburbia.
the 1930s, 40s and 50s. It is even
In addition Tsotsi is a very
thought that the word is a version
familiar stereotype, despite the of the word “zootsuit” the name
fact his home is Soweto, despite for the wide-shouldered double-breasted suits of the American
the fact that this is an African gangster. It may also be related to the words “ho tsotsa” which
story. This is not the story of means to make sharp, not too distant from our own collocation
an African child soldier, this to “look sharp”. Whatever the derivation, the word is not
is not the story of a starving only a name for the individual, but in true representational
child, this is the story of a thug, style, it defines the individual and symbolises a generation.
a thug whose sophistication The universal theme of gangsters and crime, weaves into the
and violence could be found specifics, not just of the African continent, but of the South
in almost any inner city of African nation and its post-apartheid adjustments, as it struggles
any country. Tsotsi, as he is to reconfigure its nation as multi-cultural, multi-coloured and
portrayed in the film, could be multi-tribal.
as much at home on the streets Many of the names given to the characters also indicate their
of Baltimore in The Wire as character and, to some Butcher, Boston, even Soekie and Aap
he is in Soweto. The universal hint at their background and thus at their character.
themes of crime and youth


The Gang: Left to right – Aap,Tsotsi, Butcher, Boston

Activity
Use this chart to deﬁne the characters of the standard protagonist and antagonist. Then
chart how Tsotsi represents them both.

Protagonist Antagonist Tsotsi


Narrative
Linear Narrative man is in trouble, he has a cork significance of that narrative
stuck somewhere embarrassing. can be augmented by a basic
A western element in the
The cork is going to explode understanding that other
narrative of Tsotsi is that it is a
in twenty-four hours. There is cultures sometimes have a
linear narrative. It is a simple
only one man in the world that different experience of the story.
tale that starts at the beginning
can remove that cork, and he Ideas of time and chronology are
and ends with the end of the
(of course) is in Los Angeles. not always as important as ideas
story. The film uses flashbacks
The film is the story of how the of morality, fable or ancestry.
but they are signified simply,
man, the protagonist, journeys In some African narratives the
so that there is no confusion
to Africa and removes the understanding of the connection
of narrative structure, in that
cork successfully. It is one of of the physical body to the
respect Tsotsi is a western, or
the standard plots and once narrative of life is significant.
mainstream Hollywood film.
students can recognise it there The body is very important in
Even in the book by Athol
are an number of films, TV African mythology – it is the
Fugard, Tsotsi himself, narrates
shows even books that adhere combination of memory, which
his own life in a linear style.
to that principle – the obvious is far greater than individual
Tsotsi sees himself as going
example being the television recall, and the body,
from one point to the next.
series 24. it is the combined
‘Tsotsi had always thought
memory of
about life as a straight line, as
the DNA of
undeviating as the one he had Northern ancestors. The
taken earlier in the evening in Stories body is the
following the beggar from the
Like the northern only thing that
railway terminal, as inflexible
lights, a lot of the story
as the railway tracks that swept
telling we are used to in
past him, leaving no choice but
western culture, which,
to be carried where they went.’
it must be said, has its
P.120
roots in the Unities of Time,
Place and Action, as posited by
The TT Movie Aristotle – who defined a classic
There is a trade description of a narrative as one that combines
certain kind of linear narrative all these elements to produce a
that to spare the blushes of unified narrative, linear in its
innocent youth I have renamed content. “Once upon a time” is
here. If you do not want to the onset of many a fairy tale,
know the original name, skip in the traditions of European
the next few sentences. In its narrative.
original form, as told to me by
a screenwriter it was described The Crime Against
it as the “arsehole movie”. It
takes the form of a race against
the Body
time (hence my title TT, or Time While linear stories are
Tension movie). The narrative accessible and common
suggests that somewhere (as to the European
described to me) in Africa, a narrative the


MEDIA STUDIES: NARRATIVE VIEWING SHEET

colonial powers failed to destroy,
and even then 11 million
How is the text told?
were taken to communities
elsewhere in the world as
slaves. However there remains
a sense of brotherhood, at least
Whose point of view?
in the reference to each other
as “brothers”. This sense is in
the last scene when the father
of the baby (John) calls Tsotsi
“brother” it represents what they How is the story structured?
share, not what is different.
However, the separation of
the body from its source and
sustenance is a very serious
crime and this is Tsotsi’s What devices are used to indicate time, place mood etc?
crime – to separate the baby
from its mother then, is a very
serious thing. Needless to say,
it is a very serious thing in any
culture, but the significance of In what way is the narrative linear?
the stealing of the baby is not
just in the breaking of the line,
the line of descendants and
the story of the family, but in
the breaking of the circle, the
In what way is the narrative about the body?
damaging of the community.
Encased in the linear narrative,
written and produced by white
South Africans is a hint of the
In what way is the narrative universally understandable?
indigenous black culture’s
own hegemony, ideas of the
importance of the body, of the
community of people that dates
back, not just to the birth of self- In what way does the narrative of Tsotsi reflect its
knowledge of the young man specific concerns
himself, but to his connection
with his community and his
responsibility to it.

How does the film conform or challenge typical mainstream
narrative conventions


Themes
D.E.C.E.N.C.Y a mother, but it is only when to tell the parents that the baby
he mentions a dog, that Tsotsi is there. At this point the ending
There are no prizes for spotting
responds and beats him, almost is very different to the one in the
the main theme in Tsotsi –
literally, to a pulp. This moment, book. The modern retelling deals
“decency” is literally spelled out
for the audience by Fela, who, in this challenge to decency sets with the modern South Africa,
that moment both affirms and Tsotsi on the path that leads the concept of a black middle
defies the traditional stereotype him, in the end, to some form class and the gate. The gate that
he represents. Fela is the gang of decency. His terrible beating divides the rich from the poor,
boss, bigger than Tsotsi, the ends before he has killed Boston which protects and also makes

Tsotsi in the shack with baby

alpha male, but also aware of and he runs into the night, out vulnerable. The gate is an icon of
Tsotsi and his strength. Fela is into the storm across the scrub the modern South Africa, quite
the original zoot-suited tsotsi, to another world, which there often it does not work, and what
he is a dapper dresser and a too, he causes damage. Tsotsi Tsotsi does is the nightmare of
confident man and that is why steals a car, and in it is a baby. every middle class South African.
Boston, assumes that he cannot When the gate breaks down he
spell. He thinks that, like Tsotsi, The Semiotics of steals the car, the baby and he
he is driven to crime by the wounds the mother. The gate
circumstances of his life, being
Decency only works if the individual is
orphaned and uneducated, but At the end of the film, as a safe behind it. In the last scene,
Fela is neither. representation of his new-found the gate acts as bars across the
The film starts with Boston’s decency, he puts on his white divide, prison bars that Tsotsi
challenge to Tsotsi about shirt, gathers up the baby and cannot cross, until the owner,
decency, but his provocation takes money to the old beggar who calls him “brother”, in
only elicits a violent response. he passes by on his journey to recognition of the history that
Boston taunts Tsotsi and asks the house. He hands his stash to they share, opens the gate. There
if he has ever been moved by the old fellow, one step along the is one thing that cannot divide
anything. Boston lists those way to decency for both of them. them, the colour of their skin.
things that might cause a man to Once at the gate he could leave Tsotsi has found decency but has
love, a woman maybe, a parent, the baby and run, but he chooses he now found redemption?


of Blood Diamond (dir. Edward that he has achieved some form
Redemption Zwick, 2007) considering his of understanding of right and
Redemption “In bringing Tsotsi violent and merciless history? wrong, which again makes him
to the screen, our primary There is no easy answer for a candidate for redemption.
intention was to make a taut, Tsotsi, as a protagonist, he is not The recognition of his own
well-paced, character driven, a good role model. He commits responsibility hints at his
psychological thriller. We horrible crimes and seems not readiness for redemption. He
also wanted to transport our to regret them. He is a predator refuses to let Miriam take the
audience into a world of radical who hunts down the vulnerable baby, even though it might
contrasts. Skyscrapers and and the innocent. Tsotsi allows have been safer for her and it
shacks, wealth and poverty, the audience no such luxury. would have allowed him to get
violent anger and gentle They are invited to share the life away with it. The fact that he
compassion – all collide in a film of a protagonist, who, by any recognises his own role in the
that is, ultimately, a classic story standards, would usually be an return of the baby, and is willing
of redemption.” Gavin Hood antagonist. to risk something of himself to
The redemption narrative is a Tsotsi must take the audience do the right thing and not pass
standard Hollywood convention. with him on his journey to that responsibility on to Miriam,
It is a convenient device for decency via some form of makes him redeemable and even
the despatching of sympathetic redemption. In the tradition she relents and recognises the
characters who have done evidence of insipient decency.
of Hollywood redemption, this
terrible things, or who started
process does require him to
out as evil and gradually,
kill someone worse than him, [ Spoiler warning – do
through the process of the story, not read on if you do
at least to demonstrate that he
redeemed themselves. not want to know what
does have some redeemable
The Hollywood redemption happens in the book ]
features. The killing of Butcher
narrative, even at its most
to save the child’s father fulfils
complex still tends to the neat
all the elements of parental In fact in the book, Tsotsi
solution. The narratives in
redemption. The return of the does die in a hopeless attempt
World Cinema, independent
baby, of course demonstrates to rescue the baby from the
film and Tsotsi are not so
neat, even if redemption destruction of his
is a part of the plot. township home by the
Redemption, of course, bulldozers. Bulldozers
is a useful device as it sent in, by the police,
does allow, if not for a to clear the unsightly
happy ending, then for illegal townships from
a positive resolution. land the whites want
Death redeems almost cleared. However,
arbitrarily, the death of the end of the film
the violent protagonist, leaves Tsotsi to face
redeems his or her the consequences of
humanity and solves his actions, an ending
the problem of what that Hollywood
they might do with the protagonists or
rest of their lives. What antagonists rarely
for instance would the have to face.
Leonardo di Caprio’s
character do with the
rest of his life at the end Miriam


Audience
Negotiated Reading Diamond (dir. Edward Zwick, to the representation of
2006) finally gets away from the Black Consciousness
A negotiated reading is the the representation of history, Movement, that challenged
process by which audience and but deals with the darkest the idea that African nations
producer negotiated with each secrets of African stereotypes
other as to the meaning of the were less “civilised” countries
and disruption: the kidnap of
text. A memorable moment in with as represented in Cry
children and their employment
my own childhood involves me Freedom (dir. Richard
as child soldiers. This film
watching a film called The Lion, seeks to link that condition Attenborough, 1987). Through
I was enraputred by the idea of a with some sense of First World these representations of
small girl controlling a huge lion responsibility. It uses the issue mutual African conflict in
as a pet, the Masai watching the of conflict diamonds, diamonds Hotel Rwanda, with a final
film in the front row thought it mined for the rich northern recognition in Blood Diamond,
was hilarious. In that case there hemisphere countries, without that the “civilised” white
was no negotiation! legislation or regulation, whose north, is no less violent and no
The manner in which income is used to buy weapons more civilised than its African
audiences mediates the text that continue conflicts, kidnap
and responds to it in such away counterpart. All these films
and anarchy.
that the story either develops have paved the way for Tsotsi,
Each of the above films works
an independent meaning or a modern story of African, in
with an already established idea,
the industry itself begins to a sense an ordinary story of
assented to by the Hollywood
adapts its representation of the influenced culture. The issues teenage crime, to find its place,
dominant ideology. represented move through the without cliché’s against the
ideas of the noble but doomed backdrop of a long and difficult
Cross Continental savage, dominated by the history, that still weighs upon its
Negotiation superior technology, through inhabitants.

More recently, representations
of Africa in Hollywood have
tried to deal with the conflicts
Audience Positioning
that some readings might
ACTIVITY
consider to be self-inflicted. The
terrible genocide in Rwanda, As a simple exercise in understanding audience positioning, get the
for example (Hotel Rwanda dir. class to make a five bar gate - they could do this electronically or in the
Terry George, 2004). Even so old fashioned way.
this representation required the The idea is that they would two columns:
Hollywood trappings of named
stars to appear in the film, and For Tsotsi Against Tsotsi
the story itself, although, again
a representation of historical
events, seeks to portray only the
culmination of the conflict in Everytime they feel sympathetic that’s a bar for him, every time they
the terrible events of 1994 and feel opposed to him that’s a bar against him.
not really to describe the history See what the results are and get the class to discuss the pivotal points
of tribal disruption in that in the film that changed their position on Tsotsi.
country. The later film Blood


Industry

Language the powerful patterns; the use of Synergy
the red ochre as a tribal colour;
Tsotsi is a Foreign Language The use of Kwaito music, the
the red earth itself and the deep
film that use subtitles although music of South African artist,
blue sky. However, in fact in
the language it features – Tsotsi- Zola, who also takes a role as the
Tsotsi’s town the sky is rarely
taal – is a mix of English, gangster Fela – very much the
blue, it is framed by the dust
Afrikaans and tribal language zoot-suited tsotsi, in Tsotsi. Zola
from township and much of
and a few words are readily brought to the film the “piece
what takes place, takes place at
recognisable! It was a risk for of talent” that, at least in South
night.
the produces to use Tsotsi-taal Africa, would start to open the
because it mean using local, film. Zola is the superstar of
For more:
unknown actors. www.motion.kodak.com/motion/ “Kwaito” the music of the South
uploadedFiles/tsotsi.pdf African townships, and as such
he is one of South Africa’s most
Light famous musicians, his music,
The use of 35mm film enhances Location features in most of the film and,
the colours to a deep richness. Soweto SOuth WEstern if the audience listens, at the
There are stereotypical TOwnship, the film is shot on beginning, one of the songs is
assumptions about Africa that location using local actors and Tsotsi Yase Zola and it repeats
do associate it with colour. The local language all of which adds his name – Zola, in traditional
colourful dyes in the clothes; to the verisilimitude of the piece. rap style.


Teaching Tsotsi: Generic Scheme of Work
Aims:
• To establish key concepts in regard to the study of film and moving image
• To establish an understanding of the use of representation in moving image
• To establish an appropriate lexis to apply to the study and construction
of film and moving image
• To conduct close analysis of the film for narrative and semiotic construction
• To establish an understanding of audience and its relationship to the film in respect of hegemony
• To establish understanding of institutional issues connected with industry and production

Objectives:
• To have a detailed knowledge of the film and its themes
• To have improved textual analysis skills and applied them to the text
• To have an understanding of issues of audience and institution in respect of the film Tsotsi
• To have increased insight into the context and issues of equality and diversity the film represents

TOPIC LESSON ACTIVITY
1 Representation · Introduce ideas of Africa
· Ask students to posit those ideas - written or in discussion
· Use different images of Africa some positive and some Make a stereotype using written
negative work, drawing or computer (www.
· Discuss their response doppelme.com) - see p.17.
· Is it appropriate to refer to Africa as a country or as a con-
tinent?
· Define and discuss stereotypes
· What stereotypes can they think of that relate to repre-
sentations of Africa?
· What general stereotypes can they describe?
· What are the issues with regard to stereotypes?

2 Representation and · View film - be warned - it is violent in places and it doesn’t
Response go well for the dog - also there are subtitles Students to use their five bar gate
· Students do the fIve bar gate exercise - discuss whether on like and dislike (see p.12 ) and the
they like or dislike Tsotsi and why? discussion to write a short analysis of
· How does the character of Tsotsi fit with their early ideas why they liked or disliked Tsotsi.
about Africans?
· How does Tsotsi challenge or conform to those stere- Is he protagonist or antagonist?
otypes?
· What stereotypes are there in the film?
· What stereotypes from other media or film can they iden-
tify as similar?

3 Context · This could come earlier - although I tend to let them get
to know the film first
· Brief history of Apartheid
· Issues surrounding Africa
· Introduce the book and, briefly Athol Fugard, his involve- Some research on South Africa - a
ment in anti-Apartheid major player: Nelson Mandela, Steve
· How do they think things have changed? Biko, Donald Woods
· What is our controlling ideology on race?
· Analyse the scene with the gate - all of modern South
Africa is there


4 Close Analysis · Use the DVD to examine semiotics in detail
Semiotics · Many shots in the shack with the baby have film noir style Learn and apply terminology to im-
· Denote and connote - again the scene with the gate has ages and sequences
many connotations
Examine:
· The use of location
· The use of 35mm film to gain the quality of colour

5 Close Analysis · Get them to track the two different narratives (flashback
Narrative and linear) Chart the two narratives
· Discuss the cultural influences on the narrative of the
body
Analyse one or both narratives using
· Do students tell their own story through their family? appropriate theory.
· What European theories could be applied (Barthes/To-
dorov)?

6 Close Analysis Decency
Themes Read the section from the book where Tsotsi confronts Choose an ending and analyse why
the old beggar - compare that with the film. they might have been used.
· What has changed and why?
· Is this the moment when Tsotsi starts to regain his de-
cency?
Redemption
· Define the idea discuss other more traditional redemption
narratives
· Is Tsotsi redeemed?
T
· Look at the different endings on the DVD and discuss their
implications

7 Audience · Passive responses - related to stereotypes
· Stereotypes of youth and of Africa
· Audience positioning with regard to Tsotsi Students to discuss how their at-
· Response of a South African audience compared to the titudes as an audience might have
response of aHollywood audience changed or been affected by the film.
· Negotiated reading - how is Tsotsi both a universal story
and a local story?

8 Industry Synergy
· Zola as Fela - the use of synergy and local music Do some research on other films
· Play some of the music - show the music video that use music video as part of their
marketing
· Casting issues - the use of local actors speaking local
language
· Subtitles - mention Heroes when they complain - many-
more texts use subtitles now

9 Equality and Diversity · The whole film allows discussion of various aspects of
equality and diversity with reference both to race and
wealth and poverty
· There is a documentary on the DVD about two boys who
live in the Johannesburg townships that is well worth a
look

Resources:
DVD Tsotsi
Novel Tsotsi by Athol Fugard (Canon Gate)
Studying Tsotsi by Judith Gunn (Auteur)


Background Exercise: Stereotypes Resources
The guys below are made by me on a site called www.Tsotsi.com
DoppelMe [ www.doppelme.com ]. One is meant to www.Flickr.com (CC)
be representative of me and the other some kind of www.bbc.co.uk
www.doppelme.com
stereotype. A lesson I have taught to emphasise the
www.motion.kodak.com/
process of stereotyping, is to get the class to create one.
motion/uploadedFiles/tsotsi.pdf
Creating a stereotype through avatar software can be
www.xmind.net (Free mind
fun, if a little controversial occasionally! They can do it
mapping software)
the old fashioned way, by sketching out a stereotype on
pen and paper, or by listing attributes; or they can work
in groups and draw one using an interactive whiteboard Photo credits
if you have one, or you can head to Doppelme, or All pictures from Tsotsi and the
another avatar creator and set it as homework, or an IT production are from the Tsotsi
task or do I together in class. Whatever way you choose website www.tsotsi.com and
to do it, it very quickly demonstrates the shorthand of are credited as stills available for
stereotypes and the pitfalls that can apply. publication.

And of course..

For more information
Equality and Diversity and resources go to:
http://www.judithgunn.com
One of the attractions of Tsotsi – is the fact that it is classified a
15 and can offer younger students an insight to other ways of life,
both different and familiar. Issues of race disappear in the urban
landscape where poverty and self-respect are an issue for everyone,
universally. The film itself is violent and can be disturbing
– beware of the death of the dog for younger viewers. However for
preparation, enrichment or even to show younger pupils aspects of
South African society the documentary on the two lads on the DVD
is of great benefit and can be used to support many discussions
related to equality and diversity.

Teaching Tsotsi: Notes

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