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U-Carmen eKhayelitsha

2005 · 2 h 2 min
Directed by Mark Dornford-May

Cast

Pauline Malefane Andile Tshoni Lungelwa Blou

Credits

Written by: Mark Dornford-May

Plot

Bizet's opera Carmen is retold in Xhosa in a Cape Town township. Carmen, a woman who works at a cigarette factory, seduces the policeman Jongikhaya, and the two are drawn into a deadly love triangle with a gangster. Mark Dornford-May's 2005 film, performed by the Dimpho Di Kopane company, won the Golden Bear in Berlin.

Sinekatalog’s take

Mark Dornford-May retells Bizet's opera in Xhosa in a Cape Town township, with Carmen a cigarette factory worker caught between a policeman and a gangster. Pauline Malefane is magnetic in a vibrant, spirited and Berlin-winning reimagining.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

Ratings

IMDb: 6.5 / 10 (765 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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