Mzansi Afrika

Charlize, Kanye and GLAAD

Actress Charlize Theron has been honoured for increasing "visibility and understanding" in the gay community. The star was presented with the Vanguard Award at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's (GLAAD) annual media awards in Los Angeles [Source].

Sisters Talk wonders why the award didn't go to Kanye West, fair question to which I have no response. I do not know the criteria used by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in choosing who the prize goes to. Theron said on television that she "would not wed boyfriend Stuart Townsend until gay marriage is legally recognised in the US." West says that "hip-hop was always about 'speaking your mind and about breaking down barriers, but everyone in hip-hop discriminates against gay people. Not just hip-hop, but America just discriminates'."

Tsotsi

The good news is that the homegrown South African film Tsotsi has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category. Who the hell cares about Charlize Theron, she's lost her South Africaness - good for her, she's done amazingly well and it's a boon for us, but the Tsotsi nomination is far more exciting. I haven't seen it yet but will be going to as soon as I get the chance. It's been described as a gritty reflection of township thug culture with a pulsing kwaito soundtrack.

"Six days in the life of a ruthless young gang leader who ends up caring for a baby accidentally kidnapped during a car-jacking.

Tsotsi is a gritty and moving portrait of an angry young man living in a state of extreme urban deprivation. His world pumps with the raw energy of "Kwaito music" - the modern beat of the ghetto that reflects his troubled state of mind.

The film is a psychological thriller in which the protagonist is compelled to confront his own brutal nature and face the consequences of his actions. It puts a human face on both the victims and the perpetrators of violent crime and is ultimately a story of hope and a triumph of love over rage.

"Tsotsi" literally means "thug" or "gangster" in the street language of South Africa's townships and ghettos. "Kwaito" is South Africa's answer to American Hip Hop."

Well done to all concerned - I'll be holding thumbs.