The Shore Break, a documentary film made by two South African women, is gaining international attention with its unique story based on two cousins divided by a proposed titanium mine in their village on the Wild Coast. By Lubabalo Ngcukana
Xolobeni is situated on the outskirts of Mbizana in the Eastern Cape. The proposed mining of the red Khwanyana Beach dunes has not only divided this poor community, but has pitted cousins Nonhle Mbuthuma and Zamile Qunya against one another.
Mbuthuma, an ecotour guide in the Wild Coast area that includes Xolobeni, is a fierce opponent of the mine. She was instrumental in the establishment of a crisis group opposed to the plan.
Qunya is a local businessman and a strong supporter of mining the dunes. He wants the mining investment so that it can help unlock the economic potential of the people of Xolobeni and create jobs.
It is this unique story and against this backdrop that the makers of The Shore Break decided to create a documentary based on an issue that is dividing the people of Xolobeni, with Mbuthuma and Qunya featuring prominently.
The movie, directed and co-produced by Ryley Grunenwald and Odette Geldenhuys, is proving to be an international success. It has had screenings around the world and has started a dialogue about the dilemma faced by the Xolobeni community.
The movie took three years to make and was only completed last year.
South Africa's Wild Coast is my favourite place in the world. It has a rugged, mysterious beauty, and our family has been visiting there for years. When I heard about the proposed mining and toll road through the area, I could only imagine the extent of the environmental destruction of this pristine area, Grunenwald said of her inspiration to make the film.
I met Nonhle Mbuthuma, who is a leader in her community, on one of my trips there. When I found out that her archenemy in favour of the developments was her own cousin [Zamile Qunya] and that the South African government had dethroned environmentally conscious King Mpondombini Sigcau, it felt like something out of Shakespeare. I had to make a film about it.
Grunenwald said that during the early stages of her research and in the time she spent with Mbuthuma, she was only aware of how the titanium mine and highway threatened whatever was in their pathway in the community, including the pristine environment and the community's way of life.
But when she met Qunya, she was exposed to another perspective.
He [Qunya] pointed out things that I couldn't deny: the Wild Coast's dire need for more schools, hospitals and employment. He believed large-scale development was the only hope for change. On the other hand, Nonhle wanted development that would last longer than the 25-year life span of the mine.
She believed alternative development, such as expansive ecotourism, could develop the area without the community having to give up their land and livelihood. Throughout production, I kept changing my mind as to who was more right' about the development of the Wild Coast. The complexity intrigued me and I wanted to allow the audience to see things from both sides, Grunenwald said.
The Shore Break recently won the Backsberg Audience Choice Award at the 2015 Encounters SA International Documentary Festival, and was also named best documentary at the 2015 International Environmental Film Festival in Paris.
The film will feature at the Durban International Film Festival from July 16 to 26.
It was also screened at the Sydney Film Festival last month, and has already been screened at the Millenium Documentary Film Festival 2015 in Belgium and Hot Docs 2015 in Canada.
Grunenwald said the film had been well received all over the world, including in this country, where many people are able to relate to the story because they know the Wild Coast well.
In Cape Town, it sold out shows, and extra screenings had to be added in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. I am currently in France and people can't stop talking about the film, she said.
Qunya told City Press he was disappointed that at the end of the documentary, the film makers decided to take sides.
It's a distortion of information. They are biased and selective. When the film was made, they only told me it was just for information. My views in the film are confined and restrained, while Nonhle has been given free reign to say all that she wants. Most of what I said has been edited out, Qunya said.
Mbuthuma was not available for comment.
Co-producer Geldenhuys, a human rights lawyer, said she was disappointed that Qunya felt his voice had been edited out because he had plenty of opportunities to speak out, just as Mbuthuma had.
It's not true that we took sides. I wish Mr Qunya could raise these issues with us directly. I feel disappointed and saddened he feels this way. My sense is that people don't know what goes into the making of a documentary film like this, and that when it does not come out the way they hoped, they become disappointed, she said.
www.news24.com
Documentaries
South Africa
News
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
The Shore Break, a documentary film made by two South African women, is gaining international attention with its unique story based on two cousins divided by a proposed titanium mine in their village on the Wild Coast. By Lubabalo Ngcukana
