<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Plot Twist]]></title><description><![CDATA[Africa has a proud film history. 
The algorithm just didn't show you it. 
We will. 
New films Tuesdays and Thursdays. ]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1L--!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7cb4705c-5deb-4043-822a-dc52d60811f7_512x512.png</url><title>Plot Twist</title><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:54:45 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Plot Twist Africa (PTY) Ltd]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[plottwistafrica@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[plottwistafrica@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[plottwistafrica@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[plottwistafrica@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Voice in the Hollow]]></title><description><![CDATA[This Vimeo Staff Pick animated horror re-imagines Cain and Abel in Africa, in Swahili .]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/voice-in-the-hollow</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/voice-in-the-hollow</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 09 Jul 2026 04:00:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:355038,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/i/206080999?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OlBQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4c914d1c-6355-4962-9085-92817915b001_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br><span>A haunting African fable of sisterhood, envy and ancient evil.</span><br><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br>&#8226;&nbsp;Short of the Week: Best of 2022<br>&#8226; Vimeo Staff Pick<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Best of Fest, Los Angeles Animation Festival</p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;Dark, frantic and impactful, this fable-like tale will haunt your memory banks and demand rewatching&#8230; An absolute joy to watch.&#8221;<br><strong>Short of the Week</strong></p></div><div id="youtube2-_FOw3DpcB18" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;_FOw3DpcB18&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/_FOw3DpcB18?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Fantasy Africa | 2022 | 10m</p><p><br><strong>Did you know?</strong> <br>The idea for <em>The Voice in the Hollow</em> came to Colombian writer-director Miguel Ortega when he was filming in a cavern in Northern California known as &#8220;the moaning cave.&#8221; <br><br>&#8220;The name came from a moaning sound, reportedly sounding like a young girl calling for help,&#8221; Ortega told <a href="https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2022/12/05/the-voice-in-the-hollow/">Short of the Week</a>. &#8220;In 1905 when the cave was excavated, they found a pile of skeletons from the dozens of people that were presumably drawn in by the sound of the moaning girl. The interesting part was that, at the bottom of the pile, was a 10,000-year-old skeleton of a young paleo-Indian girl.&#8221;<br><br>Ortega started wondering how that first girl fell into the pit, leading to this &#8220;Cain and Abel-type story, where the hole represented the devil and the father was God&#8221;.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/voice-in-the-hollow?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/voice-in-the-hollow?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/t/african-animation">Stream more of the best free African animations &#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Blood Rider]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lagos has too little blood and too much traffic in this Webby winner.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/blood-rider</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/blood-rider</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:55:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg" width="1456" height="819" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SQ5H!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2b394675-6740-49c3-bb27-8f6d0596f41f_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>During a blood shortage in Nigeria, a motorcycle courier races against traffic and time to deliver life-saving blood to hospitals.<br><br><strong>Accolades:</strong><br>&#8226;&nbsp;Winner: Webby Award (Branded Documentary)<br>&#8226;&nbsp;<em>Short of the Week</em> &amp; <em>Vimeo Staff Pick<br></em>&#8226; Nominee: World Press Photo Awards (Online Video of the Year) <br>&#8226; Featured on <em>The New Yorker</em></p><div class="pullquote"><p><em>&#8220;An absolute ride of a film&#8230;. <br>A riveting watch that will have you on the edge of your seat.&#8221;<br><strong>Short of the Week</strong></em></p></div><div id="youtube2-AwANbAKjrUU" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;AwANbAKjrUU&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/AwANbAKjrUU?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Nigeria | 2020 | 17m</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong> <br>To avoid slowing down crucial blood deliveries, director Jon Kasbe and cinematographer David Bolen risked their own lives to capture the footage of Joseph weaving his motorbike through traffic to the hospital. "We filmed the blood riders as we rode backwards on separate motorcycles, squeezing our legs together to hold onto the motorbike, which gave us the most freedom to operate the camera handheld," Kasbe told <a href="https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2020/11/03/blood-rider/">Short of the Week</a>. <br></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/blood-rider?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/blood-rider?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-documentaries">Stream more of the best free African documentaries &#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The 10 best African films of 2026 so far, free on YouTube]]></title><description><![CDATA[Oscar, Emmy & Webby nominees & a Cannes Lions Grand Prix winner]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-10-best-african-films-of-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-10-best-african-films-of-2026</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:01:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yXl6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Febe626a1-608b-46f8-9579-e0046d8b8169_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yXl6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Febe626a1-608b-46f8-9579-e0046d8b8169_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yXl6!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Febe626a1-608b-46f8-9579-e0046d8b8169_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yXl6!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Febe626a1-608b-46f8-9579-e0046d8b8169_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yXl6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Febe626a1-608b-46f8-9579-e0046d8b8169_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yXl6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Febe626a1-608b-46f8-9579-e0046d8b8169_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yXl6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Febe626a1-608b-46f8-9579-e0046d8b8169_1920x1080.jpeg" width="1456" height="819" 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><span>To mark the midpoint of 2026, Plot Twist Picks has rounded up 10 of Africa&#8217;s biggest awards-season contenders, all available to stream for free on YouTube. <br><br>These include 2026 Oscar, Emmy and Webby nominees, alongside winners from the Clios, D&amp;AD and the Royal Television Society Awards. </span><br></p><div id="youtube2-sCsDnszbQRk" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;sCsDnszbQRk&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/sCsDnszbQRk?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/butterfly"><span>BUTTERFLY (AKA PAPILLON)</span></a></strong><span> | Algeria<br><br>This oil painting-style animation is inspired by the true story of Alfred Nakache, a Jewish-Algerian swimmer who competed at the 1936 Olympics - in Nazi Germany. <br></span><em><span><br>Nominated: Oscars (Best Animated Short)</span></em><span><br><br></span></p><div id="youtube2-wY_1U0wyu1Q" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;wY_1U0wyu1Q&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/wY_1U0wyu1Q?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-deadly-quest-for-gold-in-south"><span>THE DEADLY QUEST FOR GOLD IN SOUTH AFRICA</span></a></strong><span> | South Africa<br><br>After a government crackdown on illegal mining, hundreds of miners were trapped underground in Shaft 11 for months. <br><br></span><em><span>Shortlisted: One World Media (Short Documentary)</span></em><span><br><br></span></p><div id="youtube2-5aSwM4x3sAM" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;5aSwM4x3sAM&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5aSwM4x3sAM?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/patience"><span>PATIENCE</span></a></strong><span> | Senegal<br><br>This migration-themed short film for Grammy nominee DJ Snake features cameos from Omar Sy (</span><em><span>Lupin</span></em><span>) and Amadou &amp; Mariam.<br><br></span><em><span>Winner:</span></em><span> </span><em><span>Graphite Pencil, D&amp;AD</span></em><span><br><br></span></p><div id="youtube2-OboT09uRw6M" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;OboT09uRw6M&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/OboT09uRw6M?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/death-in-dubai"><span>DEATH IN DUBAI</span></a></strong><span> | Uganda</span></p><p><span>This true-crime documentary investigates the death of a 23-year-old Ugandan influencer in Dubai, as well as the disturbing online trend #DubaiPortaPotty. <br><br></span><em><span>Winner: Royal Television Society Television Journalism Award (Current Affairs: International)</span></em><span><br><br></span></p><div id="youtube2-iilBXcOvn5g" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;iilBXcOvn5g&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/iilBXcOvn5g?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/africas-cultural-landmarks"><span>AFRICA&#8217;S CULTURAL LANDMARKS</span></a></strong><span> | Pan-African<br><br>These 13 short documentaries reframe the Metropolitan Museum of Art&#8217;s African galleries, travelling from Great Zimbabwe to rock-hewn churches in Ethiopia, and from sacred shrines in Nigeria to the Tsodilo Hills in Botswana, nicknamed &#8216;the Louvre of the desert&#8217; for their 4,500 rock art paintings.</span></p><p><em><span>Nominated: Webby Awards (Documentary)</span></em><span><br><br>Watch the full series </span><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/africas-cultural-landmarks"><span>here</span></a><span>.<br><br></span></p><div id="youtube2-fiBMVkRahxQ" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;fiBMVkRahxQ&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/fiBMVkRahxQ?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/searching-for-amani"><span>SEARCHING FOR AMANI</span></a></strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/searching-for-amani"><span> </span></a><span>| Kenya<br><br>A 13-year-old aspiring journalist investigates his father&#8217;s murder inside one of Kenya&#8217;s largest wildlife conservancies: Laikipia.<br><br></span><em><span>Nominated: News &amp; Documentary Emmy Award (Outstanding Social Issue Documentary)<br><br></span></em></p><div id="youtube2-f2d40eY7P1s" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;f2d40eY7P1s&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/f2d40eY7P1s?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/lily"><span>LILY</span></a></strong><span> | Tunisia<br><br>A lonely archivist has his life upended by a doll that triggers his conscience.</span></p><p><em><span>Winner: </span>$1 million <span>AI Film Prize from Google and the 1 Billion Followers Summit</span></em><span><br><br></span></p><div id="youtube2-KRBnlvMxVHY" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;KRBnlvMxVHY&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/KRBnlvMxVHY?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/in-between"><span>IN-BETWEEN</span></a></strong><span> | Ethiopia<br><br>Omar, a young refugee from Ethiopia, is navigating life in Malta. He lives suspended between two worlds: the home he misses and the one he&#8217;s trying to make. <br><br></span><em><span>Winner: On the Cusp, 1.4 Awards <br>Shortlisted: Cannes Lions (Casting)<br><br></span></em></p><div id="youtube2-69nnHQVl40g" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;69nnHQVl40g&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/69nnHQVl40g?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/stampede">STAMPEDE</a></strong> | Ghana<br><br>Rapper Genesis Owusu returned from Australia to Ghana for the first time in 11 years to film this music video, featuring daredevil local motorbike riders. <br><br><em>Silver: Young Director Awards, Cannes Lions<br><br></em></p><div id="youtube2-GvrNPiz7rHw" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;GvrNPiz7rHw&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/GvrNPiz7rHw?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/flood">FLOOD</a> </strong>| Nigeria &amp; South Africa<br><br>Directed by South African Salomon Ligthelm, Little Simz&#8217; striking black-and-white music video for <em>Flood </em>features Nigerian Obongjayar and South African Moonchild Sanelly in a modern-day fable exploring the tensions between the material and the spiritual. <br><br><em>Bronze: Clio Awards (Directing)</em><br><em>Nominated:  Video of the Year, MOBO Awards<br><br></em><strong>SPECIAL MENTION:</strong></p><div id="youtube2-HQJMzTpckPo" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;HQJMzTpckPo&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/HQJMzTpckPo?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p><strong>COINBASE &#8216;YOUR WAY OUT&#8217;</strong> | South Africa<br><br>The <span>game&#8217;s not over. It&#8217;s time to take back control.<br><br>Despite the video-game look, this cryptocurrency commercial was shot in South Africa with Gatehouse, with effects created primarily in-camera. <br><br>Screened during the Oscars, it&#8217;s not African but is a great example of how, when global brands want to make something complicated, they trust South African crews. <br><br></span><em><span>Grand Prix: Cannes Lions (Film Craft)<br>Emmy nominee (Outstanding Commercial)<br></span></em></p><div id="youtube2-AusVvo_NU2o" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;AusVvo_NU2o&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/AusVvo_NU2o?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span><br><br></span><strong><span>Want more?</span></strong><span> <br>Stream the expanded, continually updated list of over 20 of <br></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH2uV4KdJCPHx9v4vglLX8IeCtCKYvcFB"><span>Africa&#8217;s 2026 awards contenders on YouTube</span></a><span>. <br><br><br></span><strong><span>Want to discuss with a friend?</span></strong><span> </span></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-10-best-african-films-of-2026?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-10-best-african-films-of-2026?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><br><br></span><strong><span>ABOUT PLOT TWIST PICKS<br></span></strong><span>Africa has a proud film history. The algorithm just didn&#8217;t show you it. We will. </span><strong><span><br></span></strong><span><br></span>Launched during Africa Month, <em>Plot Twist Picks</em> has curated over <br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PlotTwistPicks">300 acclaimed Africa films to stream on YouTube</a>. <br><br><br><strong>Want handpicked African films every Tuesday and Thursday?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Stampede]]></title><description><![CDATA[Rapper Genesis Owusu returns to Ghana for this Silver Young Director Award winner.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/stampede</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/stampede</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:28:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:123486,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/i/204253064?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!qeP5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F78167f9a-d6f3-43f4-8a92-69904e73d737_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong><span>Synopsis</span></strong><span><br>Rapper Genesis Owusu returned from Australia to Ghana for the first time in 11 years to film this music video, featuring daredevil local motorbike riders.<br><br></span><strong><span>Accolades</span></strong><em><span><br></span></em><span>Winner: Silver Young Director Award, Cannes Lions</span></p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;Exhilarating&#8230; Blends raw street energy with mythic staging.&#8221;<br><strong>Sarah Smith, Directors Notes</strong></p></div><div id="youtube2-69nnHQVl40g" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;69nnHQVl40g&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/69nnHQVl40g?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Ghana | 2026 | 3m</p><p><strong><br>Did you know?</strong> <br>This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K0oOzX07Y4">Vice documentary</a> about Ghana&#8217;s motorbike community became a key reference for Australian director Isaac Brown. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/stampede?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/stampede?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-music-videos">Stream more of the best free African music videos &#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Flood]]></title><description><![CDATA[Winner of the UK Music Video Award for Best International Video. Featuring Little Simz, Obongjayar & Moonchild Sanelly.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/flood</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/flood</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 09:33:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5Y_h!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F091f9f7b-f737-41b5-829e-c4c3a1fb5916_1920x1436.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br><span>A modern-day fable exploring the tensions between the material and the spiritual, reimagining the matador&#8217;s nemesis as a muscle car instead of a bull. <br></span><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br>&#8226;&nbsp;Winner: UK Music Video Awards (Best International Video)<br>&#8226; Winner: D&amp;AD (Wood Pencil: Direction)<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Silver: Cannes Lions (Excellence in Music Video)<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Silver: Shots Awards (Best Music Video EMEA) <br>&#8226;&nbsp;Bronze: Clio Awards (Directing)<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Nominated: MOBO Awards (Video of the Year)</p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;A hyper-stylised meditation on materialism and its role in shaping culture. Evoking the fine art-inspiration of his photography work, Ligthelm's eye for framing and composition is on full display here.&#8221;<br><strong>Rob Ulitski,</strong> <strong>Promonews Pick of the Day</strong></p></div><div id="youtube2-GvrNPiz7rHw" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;GvrNPiz7rHw&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/GvrNPiz7rHw?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Salomon Ligthelm | South Africa | 2025 | 3m<br></p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong> </p><p>Director Salomon Ligthelm was born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa. His missionary parents took him to Dubai when he was 12. </p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/flood?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/flood?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-music-videos">Stream more of the best free African music videos &#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[In-Between]]></title><description><![CDATA[Award-winning hybrid short follows an Ethiopian refugee in Malta.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/in-between</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/in-between</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 04:01:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg" width="1456" height="898" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-eVn!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfe16de7-3e71-4df1-9fda-743e03499991_1920x1184.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>Omar, a young refugee from Ethiopia, is navigating life in Malta. He lives suspended between two worlds: the home he misses and the one he&#8217;s trying to make.<br><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br><span>Winner: On the Cusp, 1.4 Awards <br>Shortlisted: Cannes Lions (Casting)<br></span></p><div id="youtube2-KRBnlvMxVHY" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;KRBnlvMxVHY&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/KRBnlvMxVHY?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Renee Maria Osubu | Ethiopia &amp; Kenya | 2025 | 12 min</p><p><strong><br>Did you know? </strong><br>The hybrid documentary-short is presented by seven-time Grammy winners Coldplay and One Love, a non-profit that supports displaced communities around the world. Coldplay&#8217;s <em>Moon Music</em> album soundtracks the short. <br><br><em>In-Between</em> was predominantly cast with immigrants and refugees. Many of them didn&#8217;t know who Coldplay were. <br><br>While the lead character is Ethiopian, the African scenes were shot in Kenya. <br></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/in-between?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/in-between?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><br><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-short-films">Stream more of the best free African short films &#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Deadly Quest for Gold in South Africa]]></title><description><![CDATA[Shortlisted at One World Media, this haunting documentary takes you down Shaft 11 during the Stilfontein disaster that claimed 93 lives.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-deadly-quest-for-gold-in-south</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-deadly-quest-for-gold-in-south</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 04:01:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1538842,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/i/203412580?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FNSX!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8d768a92-b7f6-4d66-915b-6748bf549b07_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>In 2024, a government crackdown on illegal mining turned deadly in the South African town of Stilfontein. Hundreds of miners were trapped underground for months, leaving at least 93 dead. That&#8217;s more than double the number of victims at Marikana. With first-hand accounts from two survivors, Bloomberg reconstructs what went wrong. <br><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br>Short Documentary Award shortlist, One World Media</p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;A superb and heartbreaking watch.&#8221; <br><em><strong>Jennifer Zabasaija, Bloomberg TV chief Africa correspondent</strong></em></p></div><div id="youtube2-wY_1U0wyu1Q" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;wY_1U0wyu1Q&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/wY_1U0wyu1Q?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">South Africa | 2025 | 38 min</p><p><strong><br>Did you know?</strong> <span><br></span>There&#8217;s no director credited. The team included South African reporter S&#8217;thembile Cele, field producer Leon Sadiki and producers Leila Hussain, Gloria Kurnik, and Gloria Cheung.  <span><br></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-deadly-quest-for-gold-in-south?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-deadly-quest-for-gold-in-south?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-documentaries">Stream more of the best free African documentaries&#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p><span><br></span><br><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Searching for Amani ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Emmy-nominated documentary about a 13-year-old investigating his father's murder inside a Kenyan wildlife conservancy.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/searching-for-amani</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/searching-for-amani</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2026 04:00:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wu8e!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec16dc2c-387e-4c83-bc24-e8e8b96910aa_1920x1076.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wu8e!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec16dc2c-387e-4c83-bc24-e8e8b96910aa_1920x1076.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wu8e!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec16dc2c-387e-4c83-bc24-e8e8b96910aa_1920x1076.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wu8e!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec16dc2c-387e-4c83-bc24-e8e8b96910aa_1920x1076.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wu8e!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec16dc2c-387e-4c83-bc24-e8e8b96910aa_1920x1076.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wu8e!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fec16dc2c-387e-4c83-bc24-e8e8b96910aa_1920x1076.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis<br></strong><span>A thirteen-year-old aspiring journalist investigates his father's murder inside one of Kenya's largest wildlife conservancies.<br><br></span><strong><span>Accolades</span></strong><span><br>&#8226;&nbsp;Nominated for the 2026 News &amp; Documentary Emmy</span><strong><span> </span></strong><span>Award for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Best Documentary Feature, Raindance<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Best New Documentary Director, Tribeca, for US-based Nicole Gormley and her Kenyan co-director Debra Aroko</span></p><div class="pullquote"><p style="text-align: center;">&#8220;A tender look at Kenya&#8217;s land conflict through a child&#8217;s lens&#8230; A sweet yet at times, heart-wrenching exploration of the thoughts and feelings nurturing Simon&#8217;s journey into manhood.&#8221;<strong><br></strong><em><strong>Kelvin Kariuki, Sinema Focus</strong></em></p></div><div id="youtube2-fiBMVkRahxQ" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;fiBMVkRahxQ&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/fiBMVkRahxQ?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Kenya | 2024 | 47m</p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong> <br>&#8226;&nbsp;The murder happened in Laikipia Nature Conservancy, owned by Kuki Gallmann, portrayed by Kim Basinger in <em>I Dreamed of Africa</em>.<em><br>&#8226;&nbsp;</em>This is the 47-minute Al Jazeera <em>Witness</em> version of the Raindance and Tribeca-winning 80-minute feature.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/searching-for-amani?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/searching-for-amani?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-documentaries">Stream more of the best free African documentaries &#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Forgotten Kingdom]]></title><description><![CDATA[5m YouTube views, 15 awards for this beautifully filmed Lesotho movie.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-forgotten-kingdom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-forgotten-kingdom</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2026 06:12:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1317121,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/i/202537333?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LhbS!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe26517d2-d6b9-46cc-ba80-1f37ca44ccbe_1920x1080.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>Zenzo Ngqobe (<em>Tsotsi</em>, <em>The Rive</em>r) was up for Best Actor at the Africa Movie Academy Awards for his performance as a young man who returns from Johannesburg to rural Lesotho to bury his estranged father. </p><p><strong>Accolades<br>&#8226;&nbsp;</strong>15 international awards, including seven Audience Awards<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Over five million YouTube views<br>&#8226;&nbsp;86% critics&#8217; score, <em>Rotten Tomatoes</em></p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;One of the most beautifully filmed pieces of work to have <br>come out of Southern Africa&#8230; A must-see.&#8221; <br><strong>Therese Owen, IOL</strong></p></div><div id="youtube2-kRvPpaJq0AA" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;kRvPpaJq0AA&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/kRvPpaJq0AA?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Lesotho &amp; South Africa | 2013 | 1hr 41m</p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong><br>&#8226;&nbsp;In his screen debut, Lebogang Ntsane was named Best Child Actor at The African Movie Academy Awards, where <em>The Forgotten Kingdom</em> also won Cinematography and Sound awards. <br>&#8226;&nbsp;Cinematographer Carlos Carvalho was widely praised for his work here; you&#8217;ll want to add Lesotho to your bucket list after seeing this. Carvalho tragically passed away in 2018 after<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/07/africa/south-africa-giraffe-kills-filmmaker"> a fatal run in with a giraffe</a> while filming. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-forgotten-kingdom?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-forgotten-kingdom?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-movies">African movies</a> &#8594;<strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Baba]]></title><description><![CDATA[Iris Prize-winning short follows a queer Libyan teenager living underground - literally.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/baba</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/baba</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:01:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R6kX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F943caa07-79dd-4b94-87db-f7a8dbb50753_1920x1080.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R6kX!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F943caa07-79dd-4b94-87db-f7a8dbb50753_1920x1080.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis<br></strong>Living in the tunnels beneath Tripoli, a queer Libyan teenager dreams of escape to a better life. </p><p><strong>Accolades<br>&#8226;&nbsp;</strong>Winner of the Iris Prize for both Best International Short Film and Best British Short - only the second film ever to win both major awards<br>&#8226; Short of the Week and Vimeo Staff Pick</p><div class="pullquote"><blockquote><p><em>&#8220;A stylish and surprisingly joyful look at underground queer Libyan life, anchored by a magnetic, fierce performance from Adam Ali.&#8221;</em><br><strong>BFI Flare Selection Committee</strong></p></blockquote></div><div id="youtube2-KtaWMIDf02k" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;KtaWMIDf02k&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/KtaWMIDf02k?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Libya | 2021 | 18m<br></p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong></p><ul><li><p><em>Baba</em> was commissioned by the British Council&#8217;s More Films For Freedom program and was billed as the first LGBTQIA+ film set on Libya.</p></li><li><p>British-Libyan Adam Ali pulls triple duty here as co-writer, co-director and star. He earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for <em>Little America </em>and won Best Actor at the Red Sea International Film Festival for <em>Europa</em>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/baba?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/baba?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-short-films">African short films</a> &#8594;<strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Apartheid Killer]]></title><description><![CDATA[This true-crime documentary, exposing the ghosts of South Africa's past, was nominated for an International Documentary Association Award.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-apartheid-killer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-apartheid-killer</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:01:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:354159,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://africa-curated.plottwist.co.za/i/201486810?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3UvJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc774d353-f8f2-4cbf-acc0-6eb330e8d83f_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis<br></strong>In the late 1980s, private security guard Louis van Schoor fatally shot at least 39 people in the South African city of East London. All of his victims were Black. The youngest was just 12 years old.<br><br>Van Schoor was arrested in 1991. With many of his shootings signed off by local police as &#8220;justifiable homicides,&#8221; he served just 12 years in prison after being convicted of only seven of the murders. <br> <br>Free from prison, he is finally ready to speak, even as, 30 years on, his victims are still fighting for closure and justice.<br><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br>&#8226;&nbsp;Best TV Feature Documentary nominee, International Documentary Association<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Over a million views on YouTube<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Nominated at AIB &amp; longlisted for a Grierson Award</p><div class="pullquote"><p style="text-align: center;">"One of the reasons why he was willing to talk to me is because I'm a white South African; because he feels safe with me.&#8221;<br><strong>Co-director Isa-Lee Jacobson, speaking about van Schoor</strong></p></div><div id="youtube2-QPB42_uLLh0" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;QPB42_uLLh0&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/QPB42_uLLh0?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">South Africa | 2024 | 75m<br></p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong> <br><em>The Apartheid Killer</em> is co-directed by South African Isa-Lee Jacobson and Charlie Northcott. <br><br>Jacobson had spent 20 years investigating van Schoor and made the documentary <em>Daddy&#8217;s Girl</em> about van Schoor&#8217;s daughter. <br><br>Northcott previously made the International Emmy-nominated documentaries <em>Black Axe</em> and <em>Sweet Sweet Codeine</em>, as well as the Peabody-winning <em>Anatomy of a Killing</em>.<br><br>Van Schoor passed away in 2024 at 73. Northcott wrote his obituary for the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd1r45kme45o">BBC</a>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-apartheid-killer?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-apartheid-killer?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/t/african-true-crime-documentaries">African true-crime documentaries</a> &#8594;<strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Patience]]></title><description><![CDATA[Shot in Senegal, this emigration-themed short for Grammy nominee DJ Snake features cameos from Omar Sy (Lupin) and Amadou & Mariam.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/patience</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/patience</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:10:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!atbV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F368e1159-7328-4932-9641-f2be0232271a_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!atbV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F368e1159-7328-4932-9641-f2be0232271a_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>As Moudou attempts to emigrate from Senegal, his patience and resilience are tested. He is sustained by hope for what lies ahead and memories of what came before.  <br><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br>&#8226; Over 10 international awards, including Graphite Pencil at D&amp;AD<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Over a million YouTube views<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Premiered on <em>Nowness</em></p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;You need to watch this&#8230; a poetic exploration of migration and endurance.&#8221;<br><strong>T&#353;eliso Monaheng, OkayAfrica</strong></p></div><div id="youtube2-5aSwM4x3sAM" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;5aSwM4x3sAM&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/5aSwM4x3sAM?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Senegal | 2025 | 11m  <br></p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong><br><em>Patience</em> features a cameo and a sample from Amadou &amp; Mariam and their track <em>Sabali,</em> which was produced by Damon Albarn. This was one of the final on-screen appearances of the Grammy-nominated couple from Mali, who were both blind from childhood. Amadou Bagayoko passed away in 2025, age 70, just before the short was released. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/patience?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/patience?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-short-films">African short films &#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kokoly]]></title><description><![CDATA[Set on the coast of southwest Madagascar, this climate change chronicle earned an Honourable Mention at Jackson Wild.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/kokoly</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/kokoly</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:14:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg" width="1456" height="817" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:817,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:485253,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://plottwistafrica.substack.com/i/200573792?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x-rD!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a098252-a81c-40d8-a183-1eb960736c1a_1920x1077.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>With her marine environment changing beyond her control, a traditional Vezo fisherwoman lives on a knife edge.<br><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br>&#8226; Won seven international awards<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Honourable Mention, Jackson Wild (&#8220;nature film&#8217;s equivalent to the Oscars&#8221;)<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Featured on Greenpeace's <em>Vital Ocean Voices</em></p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;What used to be so plentiful, now you can&#8217;t find&#8230; <br>Everything, once it&#8217;s worth something, <br>you won&#8217;t see it anymore.&#8221;<br><strong>Kokoly</strong></p></div><div id="youtube2-2y1j1puGbnk" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;2y1j1puGbnk&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2y1j1puGbnk?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Madagascar | 2019 | 15 min</p><p><br><strong>Did you know?</strong><br>Filmed over four months, <em>Kokoly</em> is presented by the Sundance Institute&#8217;s <em>Stories of Change</em> initiative.  <br><br><strong>Want to know what happened when Kokoly&#8217;s village watched the film?</strong> <br>Read more <a href="https://blog.blueventures.org/en/a-visit-to-see-kokoly/">here</a>. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/kokoly?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/kokoly?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-wildlife-documentaries">African wildlife documentaries</a> &#8594;<strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div 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url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6CmZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F77cb481f-250c-407f-b543-a7ce8a31b29f_1800x1081.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6CmZ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F77cb481f-250c-407f-b543-a7ce8a31b29f_1800x1081.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6CmZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F77cb481f-250c-407f-b543-a7ce8a31b29f_1800x1081.jpeg 424w, 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stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><h5 style="text-align: center;">BBC Africa Eye investigative journalist Runako Celina </h5><p><br><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>You may think you know this story. 23-year-old Mona Kizz was a Ugandan influencer who became known as &#8220;the queen of #Dubaiportapotty&#8221; - a disturbing online trend of Arab men pooping in African women&#8217;s mouths. When the clip went viral, she jumped to her death from a Dubai high-rise.</p><p>Except that&#8217;s not the truth. BBC Africa Eye investigative journalist Runako Celina says, &#8220;The internet is wrong about Mona Kizz, whose real name is Monic Karungi, and the reality is even darker than I could have imagined.&#8221;<br><br>The documentary investigates allegations that Ugandan women are being lured to Dubai with promises of work, only to be forced into prostitution. It shows that Monic was not the only woman to fall to her death from a Dubai high-rise - and raises questions about whether either death was really a suicide.<br><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br>&#8226;&nbsp;Winner: 2026 Current Affairs: International - Royal Television Society Television Journalism Award<br>&#8226;&nbsp;Shortlisted: Best Documentary, Broadcast Digital Awards.  <br>&#8226;&nbsp;Over 1.8 million views on YouTube </p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;I thought I&#8217;d seen and heard it all but this documentary broke me.&#8221;<br><strong>Comment on</strong> <strong>Reddit</strong></p></div><div id="youtube2-OboT09uRw6M" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;OboT09uRw6M&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/OboT09uRw6M?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Uganda | 2025 | 64 min<br></p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong> <br><br>You can listen to the Gracie-winning podcast <a href="https://www.bbc.com/audio/brand/w27vqsjt">here</a>. It was also a finalist at the Amnesty Media Awards<br><br>The original BBC article on the documentary is <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2r9y3kxy9o">here</a>. </p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8221;It&#8217;s been so positive to see <em>Death in Dubai </em>succeed in moving the conversation around Monic away from rumour, speculation and online cruelty, and back towards dignity, accountability and the real life of a young woman whose story deserved far more care.&#8221; <br><strong>Runako Celina on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/runako-celina_a-little-late-posting-this-here-but-a-couple-ugcPost-7466893379658907648-8RU8/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAAANEb_ABGKwi4RM2c0NKgnxinx7EEhWDNNw">LinkedIn</a></strong> </p></div><p>If you have any information to add to this investigation, please contact runako@bbc.co.uk<br><br>Details of organisations offering information about or support after sexual abuse or with feelings of despair are available at <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/actionline">bbc.co.uk/actionline</a>.<br></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/death-in-dubai?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/death-in-dubai?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/t/african-true-crime-documentaries">African true crime documentaries</a> &#8594;<strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Med Hondo: A founding father of African cinema]]></title><description><![CDATA[Al Jazeera documentary explores Mauritanian great.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/med-hondo-a-founding-father-of-african</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/med-hondo-a-founding-father-of-african</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 06:56:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:441932,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://plottwistafrica.substack.com/i/199946187?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xn7x!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3f5f591-b414-455e-a205-9b0d3dba45ea_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em>Robert Liensol in Soleil &#212;</em> (<em>Oh Sun</em>)</p><p><br><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>Med Hondo is best known to much of Europe for dubbing Eddie Murphy&#8217;s character, Donkey, into French in the Oscar-winning animated film <em>Shrek</em>. He also dubbed Rafiki in <em>The Lion King</em>, Dillon in <em>Predator</em> and Hallorann in <em>The Shining.</em> <br><br>The Al Jazeera documentary, <em>Med Hondo: A founding father of African cinema</em>, shifts the focus back onto his celebrated career as a director, which was partly funded by his dubbing work. <br><br>His debut feature, <em>Soleil &#212;</em> (<em>Oh Sun</em>), about a Mauritanian who emigrates to Paris, won the top prize at Locarno in 1970 and screened at Berlin and Cannes Critics&#8217; Week. It was briefly banned in France but now regularly appears in lists of the top 10 African films of all time, from the <a href="https://www.bfi.org.uk/lists/10-great-african-films">BFI</a> to the <a href="https://www.bizcommunity.africa/Article/410/97/176618.html">Tarifa-Tangiers African Film Festival (FCAT)</a> </p><div class="pullquote"><p>Hondo does not pull his punches. The movie is not only a bitter firsthand analysis of economic migration but also a similarly cutting critique of systemic white supremacy. Half a century has scarcely blunted &#8212; and may have even enhanced &#8212; its relevance.<br><strong>J. Hoberman, The New York Times, 2020</strong></p></div><p><em>Nous aurons toute la mort pour dormir, </em>his documentary on the Sahrawi independence movement in Western Sahara, won the Forum of New Cinema Prize at Berlin in 1977. His later films won the top awards at key African festivals like Carthage (<em>Arabs and N*ggers</em>, <em>Your Neighbours</em>) and FESPACO (<em>Sarraouni</em>a). <br><br>All this after stowing away on a ship from Mauritania to France and facing police scrutiny in Marseille because he lacked legal papers.<br><br><em>Soleil &#212;</em> was the first film restored under the African Film Heritage Project, the initiative launched by Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation, UNESCO, FEPACI and Cineteca di Bologna to preserve African cinema. Hondo was actively involved in the restoration and lived to see <em>Soleil &#212;</em> rediscovered by a new generation of critics after screenings at Cannes and London in 2017.<br><br>He passed away in 2019 and was buried in Morocco - framed in the documentary as a protest against his treatment in both Mauritania and France.  <br></p><div id="youtube2-6N_Ew3Jx2mI" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;6N_Ew3Jx2mI&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/6N_Ew3Jx2mI?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Mauritania | 2022 | 46 min<br></p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong> <br>We featured this as the closing film for our #AfricaMonthFilmChallenge. The documentary of his life is a reminder that African films have been winning some of the world&#8217;s top prizes for over 50 years, but it&#8217;s also uncomfortable to see how little progress has been made structurally. <br><br>As the documentary shows, his cast worked for free on his first film and he had to mortgage his house to make his last film. Even when he could find funding, he struggled to find distributors to market his films. Mauritania, the country of his birth, didn&#8217;t screen his films in cinema while he was alive. As I write this, the only film of his I can watch legally in South Africa is <em>Soleil &#212;</em> (<em>Oh Sun</em>), which I&#8217;ve belatedly discovered on Mubi. It&#8217;s now next on my watchlist. <br><br>It shouldn&#8217;t be this hard to find classic African films in Africa. That&#8217;s why this Substack and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@PlotTwistAfrica">Plot Twist Africa YouTube channel</a> exist. <br><br>Read Hondo&#8217;s 1979 manifesto, <em><a href="https://www.ejumpcut.org/archive/onlinessays/JC31folder/WhatisCinemaForus.html">What is cinema for us?</a></em>. It still strikes a nerve. There is still much work to be done. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/med-hondo-a-founding-father-of-african?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/med-hondo-a-founding-father-of-african?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-documentaries">African documentaries&#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Men Inside The Suits]]></title><description><![CDATA[This short documentary celebrates the sapeurs of The Republic of the Congo.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-men-inside-the-suits</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-men-inside-the-suits</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 07:34:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Jp8u!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3558635-8c4a-461f-876c-a88ac5dcbd31_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>&#169;&#65039; H&#233;ctor Mediavilla</strong></p><p><strong>Synopsis:</strong> <br>The best-dressed documentary of all time, about the &#8216;society of elegant persons of the Congo.&#8217; <br><br><strong>Accolades:</strong> <br>A Grand Clio, as well as honours at Cannes, The One Show and other major advertising awards. <br></p><div id="youtube2-v2O5yfw20Yg" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;v2O5yfw20Yg&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/v2O5yfw20Yg?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Republic of the Congo | 2014 | 5 min<br></strong></p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong><br><br>&#8220;In life, you cannot always choose what you do, but you can always choose who <br>you are.&#8221; <br><br>That&#8217;s the opening line of the Guinness <em>Sapeurs</em> ad, which celebrates the  &#8216;society of elegant persons of the Congo.&#8217; </p><div id="youtube2-66HuFrMZWMo" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;66HuFrMZWMo&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/66HuFrMZWMo?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Republic of the Congo | 2014 | 1 min 40</strong></p><p>Adland makes its money spotting trends and capitalising on them, so there&#8217;d already been growing interest in the Sapeurs. <br><br>Popularised by Congolese music icon Papa Wemba from the 1970s onwards, La Sape became the subject of two acclaimed photography books: <a href="https://www.danieletamagni.com/books">Daniele Tamagni&#8217;s </a><em><a href="https://www.danieletamagni.com/books">Gentlemen of Bacongo</a></em> (2009) and <a href="https://www.hectormediavilla.com/books/sape">H&#233;ctor Mediavilla&#8217;s </a><em><a href="https://www.hectormediavilla.com/books/sape">S.A.P.E.</a></em> (2013), a collaboration with Congolese author Alain Mabanckou. </p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8221;The white man has invented the suit. We have made an art of it.&#8221;<strong><br>Papa Wemba</strong></p></div><p>Another breakthrough moment came with <em>Losing You</em>, a sapeur-inspired music video directed by Melina Matsoukas for Solange Knowles. Filmed in Cape Town rather than the Congo, it won Best Pop Video &#8211; International at the 2013 UK Music Video Awards and has over 35 million YouTube views. </p><div id="youtube2-Hy9W_mrY_Vk" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;Hy9W_mrY_Vk&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Hy9W_mrY_Vk?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>South Africa | 2012 | 4 min</strong></p><p><strong><br></strong>Mediavilla had already spent seven years photographing the movement when Guinness hired him to to contextualise the ad above with a five-minute documentary about the Sapeurs.  <br><br>As Mediavilla reflects on his <a href="https://www.hectormediavilla.com/sape-tUaVP">website</a>, &#8220;This Guinness campaign was very successful and made sapeurs better-known around the world. Personally, after struggling with my internal contradictions (should I accept a commercial assignment on a topic I knew very well since years, which I had already deeply documented or not?), I was happy to help my Congolese friends to get reasonably well payed for their work and get more audience for their art.&#8221;<br><br>Of course, there is much to debate here, as <a href="https://ethanzuckerman.com/2014/01/31/sharp-suits-warm-beer-guinness-sapeurs-and-the-seduction-of-congolese-fashion/">Ethan Zuckerman explores</a>, including questions of appropriation and appropriateness.  <br><br>&#8220;At the start of the 20th century when the French arrived in the Congo, the myth of Parisian elegance was born among the youth of the Bakongo ethnic group, who were working for the colonisers. At that time, many considered white men to be superior, due to their sophistication and elegance,&#8221; says Mediavilla on his <a href="https://www.hectormediavilla.com/sape-tUaVP">website</a>. &#8220;In 1922, Grenard Andr&#233; Matsoua was the first Congolese man ever to come back from Paris dressed as a genuine Frenchman. His arrival caused great admiration among his fellow countrymen; he became known as the first Grand Sapeur.&#8221;<br><br>Should we glamourise a consumerist movement inspired by colonial fashion? <br><br>These are debates worth having, especially since the campaign ran primarily outside Africa (Guinness had <em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGAjsMgK7Bw">Made of Black</a></em> running on the continent instead). <br><br>Whatever the origins and appropriateness of the movement, after watching you&#8217;ll be inspired to dress better and live with more joie de vivre. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-men-inside-the-suits?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/the-men-inside-the-suits?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-documentaries">African documentaries &#8594;</a><strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fantastic Man]]></title><description><![CDATA[Who is William Onyeabor? Doc searches for Nigerian synth pioneer]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/fantastic-man</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/fantastic-man</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 11:44:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6fb804d0-c74c-4a3b-9db1-e27a27154bff_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg" width="1456" height="819" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!R-Gy!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9e4cda97-32d3-4e8c-8dcc-7d99fc518a6c_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><em><br>Fantastic Man</em> celebrates William Onyeabor, the Nigerian synth pioneer who released nine albums in just eight years in the 70s and 80s. </p><div class="pullquote"><p>&#8220;A fascinating watch with an unbelievable soundtrack&#8221;<br><em><strong>Documentary Weekly</strong></em></p></div><div id="youtube2-GiaRp0M2fxE" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;GiaRp0M2fxE&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/GiaRp0M2fxE?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Nigeria | 2014 | 31 min<br></p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong> <br>Onyeabor was only discovered internationally in the early 2000s when &#8220;Better Change Your Mind&#8221; was included on cult crate-digger releases like Strut&#8217;s <em>Nigeria 70</em> and Luaka Bop&#8217;s <em>World Psychedelic Classics 3: Love's A Real Thing - The Funky Fuzzy Sounds Of West Africa</em>. <br><br><em>Comb &amp; Razor</em> blogger Uchenna Ikonne pitched the idea of a best-of compilation to Luaka Bop and then spent nine months in Nigeria trying to get Onyeabor to sign off on the rights. <br><br>The result, <em>Who is William Onyeabor?</em>, was <em>Time Magazine</em>&#8217;s fourth best album of 2013 and <em>Pitchfork</em>&#8217;s best reissue of the year. <br><br>"I was going to call the record <em>This Is William Onyeabor</em>, up until the point we realised we didn't know anything about him," Luaka Bop label head Yale Evelev told <a href="https://www.npr.org/2013/12/15/250568242/nine-months-in-nigeria-one-difficult-musical-genius">NPR</a>'s Arun Rath. "And then we changed the title to <em>Who Is William Onyeabor?</em>"<br><br>Despite the internet age, Onyeabor was, to quote BBC, &#8220;one of modern music&#8217;s greatest enigmas.&#8221;<br><br>Evelev had already tried calling for more context on his music. &#8220;He said to me, 'Why would I want to talk about that? I just want to talk about Jesus.' And then he hung up the phone.&#8221;<br><br>So they released his best-of compilation without the usual context, and without him doing interviews or touring. <br><br>Instead the label rounded up a super-group of his fans to perform his songs live, including Dev Hynes from Blood Orange, Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip, David Byrne of Talking Heads, Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, Luke Jenner of The Rapture, Money Mark, The Lijadu Sisters and more. Remixes followed from Hot Chip, John Talabot and more.  <br><br>&#8220;Who is William Onyeabor?&#8221; is the mystery that drives Jake Sumner&#8217;s documentary for Noisey, <em>Fantastic Man</em>, which follows Luaka Bop&#8217;s attempts to track him down at his palace in Enugu and find out more about the mythical cult figure.  <br><br>The mystery remains at the end of the film, but you&#8217;ll have a sense of wonder too, after seeing Onyeabor through the eyes of fans like Femi Kuti, Human League&#8217;s Martyn Ware, Caribou&#8217;s Dan Snaith and Blur&#8217;s Damon Albarn. </p><div class="pullquote"><p><em>&#8220;This is exactly the kind of music I would love to be able to make.&#8221;<br><strong>Damon Albarn on William Onyeabor</strong></em></p></div><p>Onyeabor passed away peacefully in his sleep in 2017. A year later, Apple soundtracked its iPhone 7 commercial, <em>Barbershop</em>, with &#8220;Fantastic Man&#8221;, winning Golds at Cannes, The Clios and The One Show, as well as Best in Show at ADC. The spot is now part of the AICP permanent collection at New York&#8217;s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).</p><p>After decades in obscurity, Onyeabor&#8217;s music continues to find new audiences. &#8220;Fantastic Man&#8221; has appeared in <em>Sex Education</em>, <em>Shameless</em> and <em>Our Flag Means Death</em>, while &#8220;Body &amp; Soul&#8221; features on the soundtrack of <em>Grand Theft Auto</em>. <br><br>Onyeabor&#8217;s music was ahead of its time but remained largely unheard outside Nigeria for decades until it found champions willing to distribute and market it to the world. </p><p>That's part of the reason this Substack exists: to help more people discover the remarkable African films that are already out there, waiting to find their audience.<br><br>And here&#8217;s the Apple ad, directed by Dougal Wilson:</p><div id="vimeo-226313053" class="vimeo-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;226313053&quot;,&quot;videoKey&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true}" data-component-name="VimeoToDOM"><div class="vimeo-inner"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/226313053?autoplay=0" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" loading="lazy"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/fantastic-man?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/fantastic-man?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Explore more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/t/african-music-documentaries">African music documentaries</a> &#8594;<strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lily]]></title><description><![CDATA[This Tunisian short won the $1m AI Film Award.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/lily</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/lily</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 07:27:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg" width="1456" height="654" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:654,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:830078,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://plottwistafrica.substack.com/i/199564643?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zYAv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F15b05274-09a5-4a7b-aa8c-b27e9b0c1edc_2874x1290.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><em><br>Lily</em>, a claymation-inspired short, follows a lonely archivist whose life is upended by a doll that triggers his conscience. <br><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br>The inaugural AI Film Prize: $1 million from Google &amp; the 1 Billion Followers Summit, beating 3 500 entries from around the globe. </p><div id="youtube2-f2d40eY7P1s" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;f2d40eY7P1s&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/f2d40eY7P1s?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Zoubeir ElJlassi | Tunisia | 2026 | 9 min</p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong> <br>The heavyweight jury included Egyptian filmmaker Ali Ali, alongside executive creative directors from Google and YouTube, the co-founders of ElevenLabs, and Marina Mogilko from the Silicon Valley Girl podcast. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/lily?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/lily?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/t/african-animation">African animation</a> &#8594;<strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wild Hope: Pangolin Protectors]]></title><description><![CDATA[In this Jackson Wild nominee from Mozambique, a vet helps rehabilitate the world's most trafficked mammal.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/wild-hope-pangolin-protectors</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/wild-hope-pangolin-protectors</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 05:43:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg" width="1456" height="819" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:819,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:335603,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://plottwistafrica.substack.com/i/199422669?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nCv5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F431e4ad0-1f70-4a04-b82f-020c93878850_1920x1080.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>Despite growing up near Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, Elias Mubobo had never seen a pangolin until he started working there as a vet. Now he helps rehabilitate rescued pangolins and educate the surrounding community about them.<br><br><strong>Accolades</strong><br>Nominated in the Conservation - Short Form category at Jackson Wild, often billed as &#8216;the Green Oscars.&#8217;</p><div id="youtube2-l9sT1370vw0" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;l9sT1370vw0&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/l9sT1370vw0?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Augusto Bila | Mozambique | 2024 | 12 min</p><p><strong>Did you know?</strong> <br>Pangolins are the only scaled mammals on earth, but their scales have made them the most trafficked mammal in the world, despite being among the cutest.</p><p>Hundreds of thousands of pangolins are illegally trafficked each year, with their scales sold for use in traditional medicine.<br><br><br><em>Pangolin Protectors </em>came out of <a href="https://www.newf.co.za/">NEWF</a> partnering with Gorongosa to run The African Science Film Fellowship, a year-long project with 12 African filmmakers, including Bila. The fellowship was backed by HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, who produced the Oscar-nominated documentary <em>All That Breathes. <br><br>Pangolin Protectors </em>was screened as part of <em>Wild Hope,</em> Tangled Bank&#8217;s series highlighting the change-makers restoring our wild places and sparking new hope for the future of our planet.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a friend?</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/wild-hope-pangolin-protectors?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/wild-hope-pangolin-protectors?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br>Stream more of the best free <a href="https://picks.plottwist.co.za/s/african-wildlife-documentaries">African wildlife documentaries</a> &#8594;<strong><br><br></strong></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://picks.plottwist.co.za/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption"><strong>Want more free Plot Twist Picks?</strong></p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Salah: Farewell to the King]]></title><description><![CDATA[Liverpool celebrates their Egyptian star for the last time.]]></description><link>https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/salah-farewell-to-the-king</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://picks.plottwist.co.za/p/salah-farewell-to-the-king</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kriedemann]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 06:13:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg" width="1263" height="714" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:714,&quot;width&quot;:1263,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:285157,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://plottwistafrica.substack.com/i/199285726?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QFqA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0fccbfc3-8dc5-4111-b1ae-7d695e2ad0b2_1263x714.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><strong>Synopsis</strong><br>Liverpool celebrates Mohamed Salah's nine-year career at the club, with teammates, coaches and family reflecting on the Egyptian&#8217;s record-breaking legacy.</p><p><strong>Accolades<br></strong>Over a million views in its first three days online<br></p><div id="youtube2-1Z9cA8RyHyw" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;1Z9cA8RyHyw&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/1Z9cA8RyHyw?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p style="text-align: center;">Egypt | 2026 | 59 min</p><p><strong><br>Did you know?</strong><br>Salah outscored three entire teams in his debut Premier League season, setting a then league record of 32 goals in a 38-game campaign. <br><br>He went on to become Liverpool&#8217;s all-time top scorer in the Premier League, in European competition, and in the UEFA Champions League, as well as the Liverpool player with the most Premier League assists. <br><br>He is also the first player in Premier League history to finish top for both goals and assists in multiple seasons.</p><p>So stand down George Weah, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto&#8217;o: Salah is the king. <br><br>Even if his own daughter only rates him 7/10 as a player. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><br><strong>Want to watch &amp; discuss with a 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