A young man drafted into South Africa’s military, but he knows he is different and must keep himself hidden. However, when another recruit develops an intimate relationship with them, they are now both in danger.
Moffie (2019)
Director: Oliver Hermanus
Writer: Oliver Hermanus, Jack Sidey, André Carl van der Merwe
Genre: Drama, Romance, War
Country: South Africa, UK
Language: English, Afrikaans
Year: 2019
Duration: 104 min
Stars: Kai Luke Brummer, Barbara-Marié Immelman, Michael Kirch, Remano De Beer, Emil van Niekerk, Connor Dowds
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Nicholas has long known he is different, that there is something shameful and unacceptable in him that must stay hidden, denied even. But South Africa’s minority government are embroiled in conflict at the Angolian border and all white young men over 16 must serve two years of compulsory military service to defend the Apartheid regime and its culture of toxic racist machismo. The ‘black danger’ is the real and present threat; what is wrong with Nicholas and others like him can be rooted out, treated and cured like a cancer. But just when fear pushes Nicholas to accept unspeakable horrors in the hopes of staying invisible, a tender relationship with another recruit becomes as dangerous for them both as any enemy fire.
The film is set in 1981 South Africa and presents the story of a gay teenager completing his compulsory military service with the South African Defence Force on the border with Angola.
South Africa’s white minority government is embroiled in a conflict at its border with Communist-led Angola. All fit South African white males between 17-60 must complete two years of mandatory military service- Conscription- conducting incursions into Angola followed by annual Commando camps, both training and operational. The Conscription applied to South African nationals but certain groups such as British passport holders (and others with dual nationality) could seek exemption.