U-Carmen eKhayelitsha
One of the pleasures of attending WFF films is the chance to be an armchair traveler. So far I've been to Paris, Russia, Poland, Niger, the Amazon jungle, China, Bangladesh and the steppes of Mongolia.
My latest virtual trip took me to Cape Town, where I was part of the small but enthusiastic and multicultural audience attending U-Carmen eKhayelitsha.
This exhilarating version of Bizet's Carmen is staged in the township of Kyalelitscha, where the tobacco factory has been exchanged for a cigarette factory, the now raunchier lyrics are sung in Xhosa, clicks and all, and Bizet's music is inextricably intertwined with African rhythms. Carmen is played with swagger and sass, and the tale of jealousy and love is both moving and dazzling.
Fave trip so far.
