Yesterday

'Yesterday' distils the tragedy of Aids in sub-Saharan Africa into a single small story devoid of sentimentalism.

Herald rating: ****

The first feature in the Zulu language, and the first South African movie to earn an Oscar nomination, this unshowy and very moving film distils the tragedy of Aids in sub-Saharan Africa into a single small story devoid of sentimentalism or preachiness.

The title character (Khumalo), who is named for her father's belief that "yesterday was better than today", lives with her daughter Beauty (Mvelase) in an isolated village in Kwazulu Natal while her husband (Khambula) slaves in a distant mine. After repeated attempts to see a doctor about her persistent cough, she tests HIV-positive and goes to find her husband to urge him to be tested too.

Director Roodt's fluid and patient visual style rhymes perfectly with the story - waiting, after all, is Yesterday's and Africa's fate - and the film is carried by its two main performances: the beautiful and radiantly sincere Khumalo and the artlessly charming Mvelase.

For all its grim subject matter and predictable arc, it is a film full of hope and a very impressive work.

CAST: Leleti Khumalo, Lihle Mvelase, Kenneth Khambula, Harriet Lenabe
DIRECTOR: Darrell Roodt
RUNNING TIME: 96 minutes
RATING: M, adult themes
SCREENING: Lido