Life, Above All 2011

Chanda, a 12-year-old girl living in a township near Johannesburg, grapples with immense loss as she faces the burden of organizing a funeral for her baby half-sister, Sarah. With her mother, Lillian, a seamstress, engulfed in grief, and her alcoholic step-father, Jonah, succumbing to his vices, the weight of the situation falls heavily on her young shoulders. Thankfully, their neighbor, Mrs. Tafa, steps in to help care for Chanda’s younger half-siblings, Iris and Soly. Amidst this chaos, Chanda finds solace in her friendship with Esther, an orphaned schoolmate caught in a tragic cycle, ultimately resorting to prostitution as a means of survival.

After the funeral, Jonah makes a fleeting promise of support to his family, only to betray that trust when he steals money from Lillian and vanishes. In a desperate attempt to care for Lillian, Mrs. Tafa takes her to a dubious doctor, whose efforts prove fruitless. When a bedraggled Jonah is returned to Lillian by his sister, he quickly disappears again, leading to malicious rumors about the family’s health, hinting that they might be afflicted with AIDS. A visiting shaman informs Lillian that their home is bewitched, prompting her to return to her childhood village, Tiro, where she tearfully bids farewell to her children.

As Chanda navigates her turbulent emotions, disaster strikes when a battered Esther arrives at her doorstep, revealing the possibility that she might carry the AIDS virus. Mrs. Tafa insists that Chanda should ask Esther to leave, but Chanda stands firm, refusing to abandon her friend in her time of need. Distraught and unable to sit for her exams, Chanda rushes home only to hear rumors that her sister has fallen into a pit with another child. In a twist of fate, Iris is merely hiding, while the boy’s life is saved by Jonah’s lifeless body, which emerges from the hole.

At Jonah’s funeral, Mrs. Tafa cautions Chanda about the dangers of sharing her suspicions regarding Jonah’s condition, fearing it will lead to further stigmatization of Lillian. Ignoring the warnings, Chanda resolves to travel to Tiro to bring Lillian back to the township. With funds gifted by Esther, Chanda sets out, only to face cold rejection from her grandmother, who claims Lillian’s suffering is a divine punishment for her sins. Despite the odds, Chanda finds her mother lying alone under a tree. She manages to hire an ambulance to bring them back home.

Upon their arrival, the community turns against Chanda, threatening violence for what they perceive as bringing a curse into their lives. In a moment of bravery, Mrs. Tafa defends Chanda, urging the neighbors to pray for Lillian instead. As Lillian lies on her deathbed, Mrs. Tafa seeks Chanda’s forgiveness for her protective actions, revealing that her own son had also succumbed to AIDS. In a poignant farewell, the neighbors join together to sing for Lillian as she takes her final breaths.