THE SHORE BREAK

Two cousins, one proposed mining project on tribal land and a battle of epic proportions. In the Amadiba area, on South Africa’s stunning Wild Coast, the Pondo people have tended their traditional way of life for centuries. Nonhle, a young local eco-tour guide, is a staunch supporter of her people and the endangered environment on which their livelihood and culture depend. Her cousin Madiba, a local entrepreneur and self-proclaimed modernizer, is fully supportive of a titanium-mining proposal and the government’s controversial plan to build a highway across their tribal ground. Tired of his community living in poverty, Madiba scurrilously courts private capital and questionable government officials. While the South African President deposes the pro-environment Pondo Royal Family, Nonhle rallies inspiring support with little more than dogged determination. Featuring arresting cinematography, beautiful sand animation and sensational music, The Shore Break delivers both a visually and emotionally riveting fight to the finish.

RYLEY GRUNENWALD

 

Ryley Grunenwald’s directorial and producing debut, The Dawn of a New Day (2011, 60 mins), won Best Director and Best Cinematographer of a Documentary at the 2012 South African Film and Television Awards. She is a Berlinale Talents alumna, holds an MA in Film and Television, and is owner of Marie-Vérité Films.

 

• IDFA Amstedam 2014 
• Hot Docs Toronto 2015 
• Sydney Film Festival 2015 
• Encounters Cape Town 2015

 

Main Competition 2016