Directed by
Lebohang Claudia Seemane
Country of Origin
South Africa
Runtime
30:28
We invent Dobsonville hostel also known as Siphiwe in the South of Johannesburg South Africa, where thousands and thousands come to search for better opportunities, some find themselves in hostels and informal settlements with nowhere to go because of financial distress.
The narrative follows the families and individuals that live inside the neglected hostel of Siphiwe village. This area has been experiencing a massive drain blockage that has led to the blockage of toilets which is now an outbreak of seer water in every corner and has created dysfunctional living conditions and fatalities among the community residents. The film aims to raise awareness and explore the living conditions and how the basic human rights of the people of Siphiwe village are violated. This includes the right to clean water, basic sanitation services and human dignity. We look inside the homes of the residents who have been deeply affected as they speak about the true realities of living in an area that is toxic and ignored by the local government.
In this area, the health of many women and children is deeply affected including generations to come. We further witness the inhuman conditions that the community of Siphiwe Village undergoes daily which questions the democratic system of south Africa that states that everyone has a right to human dignity. Today we look at how the residents of this community manage to survive in an area surrounded by intolerable waste water smells and the inability to use proper working toilets daily.
Director Biography – Lebohang Claudia Seemane
Lebohang Seemane
Occupation: Film and television producer and director.
Lebohang Seemane is a groundbreaking film and television producer and director that specializes in documentary making. She was born in Soweto in June 1995 during the post-apartheid era. She is the child of the African soil that embodies a great sense of freedom and wisdom that allows her to tell stories on a global scale and restore African pride among her people.
Her mission is to grow the African continent with a high level of African narratives that are often not given a voice and a face. Lebohang Seemane will forever be a student of the art of filmmaking even though she obtained a film and television production diploma, she is always willing to empty her cup and learn more about the film industry. In 2017 she volunteered and worked at a local television station called Gautv as a camera operator and a junior producer.
This experience has given Lebohang fundamental skills that meet the filmmaking industry standard. From 2021 to 2023 during her time as a film student, Lebohang produced two short student films called Mandisa and elephant in the room., she has written and directed three student films that shine a light on the narrative of being African and the African identity.
She is currently growing her profile and body of work in producing, writing and directing documentaries. In 2022 she was part of the global girl program where she wrote and directed a short documentary called finding home. One of her latest projects is the documentary called Living in waste which is available on digital platforms.