Life in a South African township is seen through the eyes of seven pupils as they come together under the parental eye of Mr Mtshali; Headmaster of Velabahleke High School. Velebahleke - 'come with a smile' may be the only school in the country that starts at 06.30am and where students are racing to get there on time. Mtshali has created an oasis of excellence for hundreds of learners, where students, staff and the community are doggedly determined that they 'be slaves to their background'. The aspirations and everyday lives of the pupils, both in and out of school, interweave to form a story of a generation striving to transcend their backgrounds and achieve what could now be theirs, in the new South Africa.
Durban International Film Festival 2006
ZInthengi Film Market
Cape Town International Film Festival 2006
Closing Film Cambridge African Film Festival 2006
Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival 2007
SABC Africa On Screen Film Festival 2007
Medimed 2007
Mosaiques International Film Festival 2010