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The Wound
The Wound
7.8
/10
334 Ratings

THE WOUND

Inxeba

Directed by John Trengove
South Africa, Germany, 2017
Drama, LGBTQ+

Synopsis

Xolani, a lonely factory worker, joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood. When a defiant initiate from the city discovers his best kept secret, Xolani’s entire existence begins to unravel.

Synopsis

Xolani, a lonely factory worker, joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood. When a defiant initiate from the city discovers his best kept secret, Xolani’s entire existence begins to unravel.

Our take

Starring out-and-proud South African singer Nakhane, John Trengove’s The Wound imaginatively places queer desires within the complex Xhosa initiation ritual of Ulwaluko. In this searing drama, the path to manhood and self-actualization is paved with cultural prejudices and unexpected epiphanies.