Tsotsi is a 2005 film written and directed by Gavin Hood. The film is an adaptation of the novel Tsotsi, by Athol Fugard. The soundtrack features Kwaito music performed by popular South African artist Zola as well as a score by Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring the voice of South African protest singer/poet Vusi Mahlasela.

Set in a Soweto slum, near Johannesburg, South Africa, the film tells the story of Tsotsi, a young street thug who steals a car only to discover a baby in the back seat.

The film won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006.

Tsotsi was the inspiration behind the Tamil language film called "Yogi" starring director Ameer Sultan.

Plot

His mother dying from a terminal disease, the young David (Benny Moshe) ran away from an abusive father and lived with other homeless children in a series of large concrete construction pipes. A few years later, David, who now goes by the name Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae), is leader of a gang including his friends Butcher (Zenzo Ngqobe), Aap (Kenneth Nkosi) and Boston (Mothusi Magano). After getting involved in a murder committed by Butcher during a mugging, Tsotsi and Boston get into a fight which leaves Boston badly injured. Later on Tsotsi shoots Pumla (Nambitha Mpumlwana), a young woman, while stealing her car, only to discover a three-month-old baby in the back seat. Tsotsi hastily strips the car of its valuables and takes the baby back to his shack.Pumla survives the attack and works with a police artist to create a composite sketch of Tsotsi's face, which is then run in the newspapers.

Realizing that he cannot properly care for the baby on his own, Tsotsi spots Miriam (Terry Pheto), with a young child strapped to her back, collecting water from a public tap. He follows her to her shack and forces her at gunpoint to feed the kidnapped child. Meanwhile, rich gang leader Fela (Zola) begins attempting to recruit Aap, Boston and Butcher to work for him. After he takes the child to Miriam a second time, she asks Tsotsi to leave the child with her so that she can care for him on Tsotsi's behalf, to which he agrees.

Tsotsi decides to take care of the injured Boston, and has Aap and Butcher take Boston to his shack. Boston, who is called Teacher Boy by his friends, explains that he never took the teachers' examination, and Tsotsi tells him that the gang will raise the money so that Boston can take the exam. To do so, they will have to commit another robbery.

Tsotsi, Butcher and Aap go to Pumla's house; when Pumla's husband John (Rapulana Seiphemo) returns from the hospital they follow him into the house and tie him up. Aap is assigned to watch John while Butcher ransacks the bedroom and Tsotsi collects items from the baby’s room. When Aap goes to raid the fridge, John activates the alarm. In panic, Butcher attempts to kill John, but Tsotsi kills Butcher and he and Aap escape in John's car moments before the security company arrives.

Traumatized by Tsotsi's killing of Butcher and fearing that Tsotsi will one day hurt him too, Aap decides to leave the gang. When Tsotsi goes back to Miriam's house she reveals that she knows where he got the baby, and begs him to return the child to his parents.

Tsotsi sets off to return the baby. He reaches John's house, tells John over the intercom that he will leave the child outside the gate. Meanwhile, an officer stationed at the house alerts Captain Smit (Ian Roberts), who rushes to the scene, arriving just as Tsotsi is about to walk away.

The police train their guns on Tsotsi, ordering him to return the baby. However, John urges them to lower their weapons so that he can retrieve the baby himself. Holding the baby in his arms, he is convinced by John to give up the baby. Tsotsi emotionally returns the baby to John, then is simply told to put up his hands and the film ends.

Alternate Endings

Although the film ends ambiguously, two unused endings were shot for the film, which can be seen on the Tsotsi DVD. One is where Tsotsi is shot in the shoulder, and while the officers are shocked at what happened, he escapes through a large field back to the Soweto slums after avoiding shots from the chief police officer. The other is where Tsotsi is shot in the chest after reaching for the baby's milk, collapses and dies, while John and Pulma look on in horror.

Cast

• Presley Chweneyagae as Tsotsi, the leader of a gang of small-time thugs. His name is Tsotsitaal for "thug".
• Mothusi Magano as Boston/Teacher boy, a member of Tsotsi's gang and a heavy drinker, Boston was studying to be a teacher before he quit college and moved to the shacks. He frequently pleads for decency and moderation in the gang's dealings.
• Kenneth Nkosi as Aap, Tsotsi's childhood friend. Aap is obedient and happy-go-lucky, and relies on Tsotsi heavily, rarely thinking for himself.
• Zenzo Ngqobe as Butcher, the fourth member of Tsotsi's gang, and the most violent, Butcher is a cheat and a loose cannon who doesn't hesitate to commit murder.
• Jerry Mofokeng as Morris, a beggar who worked in the gold mines until he was permanently crippled when a beam fell on his legs.
• Terry Pheto as Miriam, a widow with a young son who lives near Tsotsi in the slum.
• Nambitha Mpumlwana as Pumla Dube, the mother of the kidnapped child.
• Rapulana Seiphemo as John Dube, the father of the kidnapped child.
• Ian Roberts as Captain Smit, an Afrikaner police captain.
• Thembi Nyandeni as Soekie
• Israel Makoe as Tsotsi's father
• Percy Matsemela as Sergeant Zuma
• Benny Moshe as Young Tsotsi (David)
• Owen Sejake as Gumboot Dlamini
• Zola as Fela

Awards

Tsotsi won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006.

Gavin Hood was also nominated for the 2005 Non-European Film - Prix Screen International at the European Film Awards for his work on the film.

Soundtrack

1. Zola - "Mdlwembe"
2. Zola - "Bhambatha"
3. Zola - "Zingu 7"
4. Pitch Black Afro featuring Bravo - "Matofototo"
5. Unathi - "Sghubu Sam"
6. Mafikizolo - "Mnt'Omnyama"
7. Zola - "Palesa"
8. Zola - "Seven"
9. Zola - "Ehlala Zola"
10. Ishmael - "Crazy"
11. Zola - "It is Your Life"
12. Zola - "Woof Woof"
13. Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring Vusi Mahlasela - "Stolen Legs"
14. Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring Vusi Mahlasela - "On The Tracks"
15. Vusi Mahlasela - "Silang Mabele"
16. Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring Vusi Mahlasela - "Bye Bye Baby"
17. Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring Vusi Mahlasela - "Baby Handover"
18. Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring Vusi Mahlasela - "E Sale Noka"
19. Zola - "Ghetto Scandalous"

References

External links

• Channel 4 interview with actor/kwaito star, Zola
• Interview with Tsotsi composers Paul Hepker and Mark Kilian
• Review by Markus Scheuermaier from Harvard University