Malcolm Gladwell says “The fact of being an underdog changes people in ways that we often fail to appreciate. It opens doors and creates opportunities and enlightens and permits things that might otherwise have seemed unthinkable.”The movie Beyond the Rivertruly captures the spirit of this statement and takes you on a journey that retells the true life story of Siseko Ntondini and Piers Cruickshanks. The opening scene of the movie has Duma and his friend Zama, unemployed youth from Soweto, running from the police and in their bid to escape Duma lands back to canoeing with his old coach.
Steve, on the other hand, is running from his own personal demons and has immersed himself in efforts to win his 10th gold medal on his 15thDusi appearance. The spoke in his wheel is his long-time partner who has jumped ship, so to speak, and his personal life is not a bed of roses either.
After meeting and reluctantly agreeing to partner with Duma, the plot starts to unravel. We get to see Duma as more than just a young man with unpleasant brushes with law, but one with dreams to be “somebody” and not just another township soul to die in poverty or rot in jail. Steve learns more about the world outside of his own and in the process becomes a better partner. As nothing worthwhile ever comes easy, the dream is threatened, and each man has to dig deeper for a chance of a better life and gold. Go watch Beyond the River simply for that warm fuzzy feeling we all get when an unlikely hero surpasses all insurmountable odds to get his moment to shine, for that chance to feel that we all can make a difference in someone’s life, if we bothered to reach out. This story reconfirms that Ubuntu still exists and our belief in humanity is not a total setup for disappointment. The cinematography on its own will take your breath away and make you want to hit up KZN on your next Sho’t Left holiday. All in all, it is a beautiful made South African movie that is bound to be a hit with moviegoers of all ages.
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Beyond the River by Ncomeka Mpofu