Life, Above All

In a village outside of Johannesburg, a 12 year old girl takes charge of her family following the death of her infant sister, due to her wastrel father and infirmed mother. Soon, rumors that mother has been infected with the HIV virus begin to spread like wildfire, and her best friend has turned to prostitution out of financial desperation, making her a prime candidate for contracting the disease. Now, our heroine must further display her courage by quelling the gossip and rumors, and seeking help for her mother and friend. Based on the book Chandra's Secrets by Allan Stratton, "Life, Above All" is a powerful film from South African filmmaker Oliver Schmitz whose greatest asset is his young star Khomotso Manyaka, who is absolutely astounding as the brave, indomitable young woman. The rest of the cast is fine also, most notably Keaobaka Makanyane as the troubled friend and Harriet Lenabe as a stubborn but ultimately sympathetic neighbor. "Life, Above All" is an extremely personal story, told with simplicity, to genuinely powerful results.