Qubeka tackles gritty lead role
REVIEW: Steyn Du Toit
DORA’S PEACE. Directed by Kosta Kalarytis, with Khabonina Qubeka, Hlubi Moya, Danny Keogh, Ronnie Nyakale and Paballo Koza. JOBURG sex worker Dora must have had a tough evening at work. Dressed in knee-boots, a crimson red dress and lavish golden necklace, we first meet her just as she’s about to be released from Hillbrow police station. Played by Khabonina Qubeka, while we’re not told what’s happened to her – Dora’s black eye tell us everything we need to know.
“You should see the other guy,” she later quips when someone asks her about it. While the cliché is uttered with a smile, it’s obvious that she’s not kidding.
Written by Andrew Herold and directed by Kalarytis, Dora’s Peace innovatively uses its anti-heroine's awkward journey back home to help set the stage for who and what is to follow.
Among the characters introduced are Connie (Moya), her drugaddicted neighbour; Peace (Koza), Connie’s talented son; as well as Stavro (Keogh), a wealthy Greek “businessman” and one of Dora’s regulars.
Also in the mix are Vusi (Nyakale) and Themba (Molefe Monaisa), two ruthless foot soldiers from Hillbrow’s infested underground gangland; and Ravi (Meren Reddy), a rasta taxi driver turned proxy to Dora. How all these pieces fit together is part of the experience when watching this crime drama, inspired by gritty 70s New York-influenced films such as Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets and John Cassavetes’ Gloria.
In addition to the characters and storyline, another element focused on is the inner city space that is Hillbrow itself. In fact, this often becomes the production’s strongest aspect thanks to Nic Hofmeyr’s (Miners Shot Down) stellar cinematography.
Religion plays another important part in bringing Kalarytis’s film to fruition, which he combines with elements from his own Greek Orthodox Church culture.
The same meticulous attention ACCESSIBLE: Khabonina Qubeka as Dora and Paballo Koza as Peace.
to detail can also be spotted in Nerine and Jolandi Pienaar’s costume designs. Dora’s outfits, in particular, are very interesting, as they shift from uncompromising to more vulnerable shades as the character grows to love Peace more and more.
In order to demonstrate his harsh upbringing, in turn, the boy’s clothes are dulled. Elsewhere, Stavro’s ill-fitting and expensive suits says a lot about his level of sophistication.
Composer Geo Hoehn handled the film’s soundtrack. A gifted scorer and orchestral arranger, his solid sound engineering makes Hoehn crucial to the film’s success.
The hooker with a heart of gold is a very familiar trope in the traditional cinematic narrative. This film remains important, however, because it addresses issues related to representation within the local film industry. Thanks to the spot-on casting of its lead actress, a new breed of local silver screen icon has the potential be born.
“Dora is the type of strong, unforgettable female lead that audiences love,” says Helen Kuun, of Indigenous Film Distribution. “It’s fitting that the release of the feature coincides with National Women’s Month, as Dora represents courage and strength, even in the face of difficult circumstances.”
While audiences might already know her from Muvhango, The Lab, The Wild and Rhythm City - all work for which she’s received many awards over time – Dora’s Peace is Qubeka’s first feature lead.
It is a role that she not only bravely claims, but embraces it with such dedication and grit that the viewer is left with no doubt as to her talents. Straddling both strength and vulnerability, one realises just how well chosen the production’s title is. Also stepping into his first lead is Koza (Thola, The Blanket). At only 12, this young man shows a maturity far beyond his age. Uncompromisingly honest, accessible with a stunning visual palette, Dora’s Piece feels very relevant at the moment.