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NECKTIE YOUTH

by Sibs Shongwe-La Mer

synopsis

Shot in black and white, Shongwe-La Mer's films is a tale of disaffected youth, bad drugs, bravado and suicide, set amongst the leafy suburbs of middle class Johannesburg. It's one year after the death of Jabz's friend Emily who mysteriously live streamed her own suicide on the internet. While a documentary crew tries to make sense of her death, Jabz and others who knew Emily are desperate to forget. Jabz and September float through the city in a borrowed Jaguar, mouthing off about race, politics and bizarre sexual encounters. A series of seemingly random events, from shoplifting pharmaceuticals to picking a fight in a liquor store, to a disturbing visit to their cross-dressing drug dealer, eventually leads them to the home (and the arms) of beautiful bikini-clad Jewish twins, Tali and Rafi. Expensive wine is opened and more drugs consumed as the group descends into a child-like euphoric haze. Through it all Jabz and September cling to each other, trying to express the feeling shared by all the kids in the city; a desire for compassion and identity in large doses.

international title: Necktie Youth
original title: Necktie Youth
country: South Africa, Netherlands
sales agent: Premium Films
year: 2015
genre: fiction
directed by: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer
film run: 86'
screenplay: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer
cast: Bonko Khoza, Sibs Shongwe-La Mer, Colleen Balchin, Kamogelo Moloi, Emma Tollman, Jonathan Young, Kelly Bates
cinematography by: Chuanne Blofield
film editing: Matthew Swanepoe
art director: Ronmari Van Tonder
costumes designer: Tasmyn Hobbs
producer: Elias Ribeiro, John Trengove
co-producer: Nicole Kitt, Gijs Kerbosh
production: Halal, The Whitman Independent, Urucumedia

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