Filmmaker Weaam Williams continues to make waves globally with her authentic South African stories.
Her 2018 doccie film ’District Six Rising from the Dust’ has recently won the Best Documentary at the Wales International Film Festival.
“’District Six Rising from the Dust’ is a feature documentary of 62 minutes which unpacks the art, history and social landscape of Cape Town’s most remembered district,” says Williams.
It takes a personal look at dispossession and restitution, and the legacy of intergenerational loss within the context of South Africa’s current restitution process.
“District Six Rising from the Dust” has seen great success at international film festivals, winning awards such as the Best Original Story at the Florence Film Awards.
The film was also named the winner of the Nordic Aurora Award of Excellence and Jury Special Mention Best SA Documentary Cape Town International Film Festival.
The film currently forms part of the Library Collections at Edinburgh University, Duke University and the University of Toronto.
“This film is an ancestral legacy story which details the history of my family and the loss of their land, and the tens of thousands of others who lost their land in District Six.
“It is one which gives voice to unspoken traumas, and is necessary for collective healing, and progress,” comments Williams.
The Cape-Town based star has found her voice as a woman and activist using cinema. She is a multi-disciplinary artist who works with poetry, music and film.
Her “Two Hues” has also received global recognition.
The short narrative film looks at the ambiguous identity of Muslim women living in a western context, and the duality of patriarchy.
The film has won Best Short Film at Beyond The Curve International Film Festival, Best Directed Short Film at the North Europe International Film Festival, Best Women Empowerment Film at Berlin Short Film Festival, Best Lead Actress in a short film at West Europe International Film Festival, and Best Featurette at Wallachia International Film Festival.
“Two Hues” is currently being developed into a feature film.