Joe Bullet
Joe Bullet is a South African action film. It stars Ken Gampu. After being stored and not being seen for decades, it has now finally been re-released. It was the first South African film to have an all-black cast. It is targeted to black audiences[1].
| Joe Bullet | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Louis de Witt |
| Written by | Tonie van der Merwe |
| Starring | Ken Gampu Joe Lopez Abigail Kubeka Jimmy Sabe Cocky Tlhotlhalemaje Sydney Charma |
| Music by | "Silver Threads" (theme song) |
| Cinematography | Louis de Witt |
| Edited by | Oscar Burn |
Release date | South Africa 1 January 1973 Australia |
Running time | 1 hr 19 mins |
| Country | South Africa |
| Language | English |
Background
The producer of the film was Tonie van der Merwe.[2]
Independently released in 1973, Joe Bullet played at the Eyethu cinema in Soweto. After just two screenings the film was banned.[3] This was done because the South African government at the time was concerned about the influence the film could have on black South Africans. For about 40 years the original film reels were stored in a box in the back of van der Merwe's garage gathering dust. He kept the reels every time he moved home.[2]
The film was restored by Gravel Road Distribution under the supervision of its original producer, Tonie van der Merwe.[4]
Screenings
The film was scheduled to appear at the MoMA annual film preservation festival in 2014.[5] According to Variety on 18 October 2014, the film was to be screened at the New York fest on 8 and 13 November.[6] It was announced on 24 January 2017 on Channel24.co.za that after 44 years the film was to be screened at the Bioscope Independent Cinema in Johannesburg on 24 January and at the Company Gardens in Cape Town on 25 January.[3]
Story
A local soccer team gets caught up in the criminal underworld scene.[4]
The film features Ken Gampu in the lead role playing the part of a strong action man, Joe Bullet. Described by The Guardian as being modelled on something between Shaft and James Bond, Joe Bullet drives sports cars, drinks, does karate, shoots guns, throws knives, and climbs up mineshafts.[7] Singer Abigail Kubeka also has a role in the film.[4]
Re-release
The film was made available to the public in Blu-ray format on 11 September 2017. It is part of the Vault series from 88 Films, a British film label.[8]
References
- "The propaganda films of apartheid-era South Africa". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
- Ryan Lenora Brown, "Blaxploitation movies, South Africa style? A lost era of film sees new light", The Christian Science Monitor, 12 March 2017.
- "Film banned in South Africa to screen for the first time in 44 years", Channel24.co.za, 24 January 2017.
- CD Anderson, "Classic South African action film returns to the big screen", Brand South Africa, 2 February 2017.
- Tambay A. Obenson, "Exhibit Featuring Earliest-Known Feature Film Made w/ Black Actors Now At MoMA (NYC). See It!", IndieWire, 11 November 2014.
- John Hopewell, "Cohen Media Group Inks Eight-Film Gaumont Classics’ Deal for North America (EXCLUSIVE), Deals go down at Lumière Fest’s upbeat Classic Film Market", Variety, 18 October 2014.
- Gavin Haynes, "Sollywood: the extraordinary story behind apartheid South Africa's blaxploitation movie boom", The Guardian, Wednesday, 15 April 2015.
- "First Look at New Documentary to Be Included on Upcoming Joe Bullet Blu-ray Release (UPDATED)", Blu-ray.com, 6 July 2017.