Winner of this year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the South African film Tsotsi has debuted last night in Beijing. Without big budget, fancy visual effect and stars, the movie on the journey of humanization of a young gangster has had the first batch of Chinese audience fall for it.

 

 

On the edges of Johannesburg, South Africa, 19-year-old Tsotsi's life has no meaning beyond survival. Orphaned at an early age, he has learned to fend for himself. One night, driven to the brink of desperation, Tsotsi steals a woman's car. But as he is driving off, he makes a shocking discovery in the backseat. 　　

 

A three-month-old baby is left there! Tsotsi's reaction to his new responsibility-along with the feelings and memories the helpless baby triggers in him-becomes his catalyst for change and growth, transforming a toughened street punk into a young man who feels hope for the first time. 　　

 

Just as the film producer Peter Fudakowski says, the film reveals beauty in roughness. 　　

 

And for its first batch of Chinese viewers, last evening's debut show has been an intense yet forgettable experience. 　　

 

"It's a pretty good movie. The direction is sensitive and aesthetic. I particularly like the vibrant performance of the actor playing Tsotsi. And the music in movie which is a great mix of upbeat hip hop and original South African chanting." 　　

 

Though it's not a mainstream movie, Gao Qun the manager of Xinyinglian Film Company believes, Tsotsi with its unique perspective will win its own audience and opens the summer season of the domestic film market. 　　

 

"Affected by the month-long World Cup, the cinemas have lost some audience. While I believe the market is already heating up with the screening of movies like Tsotsi and Superman Returns. And with its Oscar background, I think Tsotsi will easily reach a box office revenue of over 10 million yuan."

 

(CRI July 11, 2006)