Counting Headz: South Afrika's Sistaz in Hip Hop
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Counting Headz: South Afrika's Sistaz in Hip Hop is a 49 minute documentary film that explores South African hip hop culture through the stories of women in hip hop. It was shot in 2006 and completed post-production in 2007. The film was directed and produced by South African filmmaker, Vusi Magubane, and Canadian filmmaker, Erin Chen-ying Offer.
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[edit] Synopsis
Counting Headz is a platform for stories that are often drowned out among the male voices in hip hop. This ground-breaking documentary reveals the position of South Africa's women today; their stories are mediated through the experiences of three major artists in South Africa's hip hop scene.
MC Chi introduces the alleged contradiction of values between African and hip hop cultures. Is it possible to reconcile the two? Is it worth it to reconcile the two? Her questions thread together the obstacles encountered by fellow sistaz.
DJ Sistamatic challenges a distorted portrayal of her image in the media. Candidly, she recounts her resistance to conform to female stereotypes as she continues to make a name for herself.
Family relationships are tested when daughters step outside traditional roles; Graffiti artist Smirk works beyond her family's initial misgivings about her art and prepares to merge living hip hop and being a mother.
Alternately, they are supported and contradicted by an all-female community of hip hop artists and activists from the locally respected MC, Cuba, to the internationally acclaimed crew, Godessa.
Counting Headz is many things: a collaboration, a labour of love, a celebration. But most importantly, it voices these women's stories that are often left unheard.
[edit] Production Notes
Counting Headz was shot primarily in and around Johannesburg, the cultural and commercial capital of South Africa. The film would have been incomplete had the crew not also shot in Cape Town: the birthplace of South African hip hop. One busy week was spent in Cape Town, in which the crew interviewed Cape Town based artists and significant contributors to South African hip hop such as Godessa, Endz, Kato, Smirk, and Faith47.
Much of the original performance footage was shot at weekend hip hop shows such as Black Sunday, Slaghuis, and Splashjam, which all take place at various locations in Soweto.
[edit] Featured Artists & Activists
The Counting Headz sistaz are:
Chi (mc)
Sistamatic (dj)
Smirk (graffiti artist)
Cuba (mc)
Lee Kasumba (radio dj, activist)
D-Unik (dj)
Tia Anam (mc)
Kato (dj)
Crystal Orderson (journalist, gender activist)
Supa (mc)
Godessa (mcs)Official Godessa website
Endz The Otherness (mc)Endz' Myspace
Nthabi (mc)Nthabi's Myspace
Cuba (mc)
Sisanda (mc)
Nicky (beatboxer)
Faith47 (graffiti artist)Official Faith47 website
Counting Headz features original performance footage from Chi, Tia Anam, Godessa, Endz the Otherness, Nthabi, Cuba, Sisanda, and Nicky.
[edit] Director Biographies
Counting Headz is the first film for both directors. The two filmmakers met each other on their way to the 2005 Southern African Social Forum, on a bus to Zimbabwe.
Erin Chen-ying Offer grew up just outside Vancouver, (British Columbia, Canada). Her involvement in film and television began when she field reported for a youth television show called Backstreet which raised awareness about youth issues through pop culture.
Always interested in social justice, Erin has worked as a counsellor at a community resource centre, a sexual assault centre, and a transition house for survivors of abuse. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Erin went to South Africa to work with community based organisations in the townships.
Erin was assistant editor on the 2005 SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) documentary, commemorating the 20th anniversary of COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions). In 2006, she co-created and organized Imbokodo, the first international women's hip hop festival in Johannesburg.
Vusi Magubane grew up in the township Umlazi, at the coastal city of Durban (KwaZulu Natal, South Africa). He relocated to Johannesburg in the 90s and traveled and worked in the USA for two years before deciding to commit full-time to film.
His contributions to South African film began with the critically acclaimed God is African and have continued mostly in the independent sector. Vusi has focused his energies as director of photography and editor on independent projects including Rotten and When Jeppe was a Two Way Street, the latter commissioned by M-Net.
Vusi’s music videos, such as “Hell is Home” by 3WR, have been broadcast on Channel O, MTV Base, and the SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation). A collaborative effort between Vusi and fellow filmmakers in 2005 resulted in the short film Biko for Beginners which is currently in licensing negotiations with the Ikon Film Development Program. He recently completed directing The Cypher, a youth-oriented documentary series for the SABC1.
[edit] Production Credits
Research Consultants: Bonolo Ratshidi, Zanele Guqaza, Zenaida Martin, Natalie van Rooy, Yoliswa Mogale, Tifen, Mbali Vilakazi
The Counting Headz Sistaz: Chi, Smirk, Sistamatic, Lee Kasumba, Cuba, Godessa, Tia Anam, Endzi, D-Unik, Kato, Faith47, Nthabi, Sisanda, Supa, Nicky, Crystal Orderson
Produced and Directed by: Erin Offer & Vusi Magubane
Assistant Director: Thabiso Mohapeloa
Associate Producers: Jenny Hu & Matt Offer
Edited by: Thabiso Mohapeloa & Vusi Magubane (Chop Shop Multimedia)
Financial Advisor: Jenny Hu
Director of Photography: Vusi Magubane
Translation by: Lulama Masimini
Translation Edited by Taryn Mackay
Rhymes Written by: Nthabi
Rhymes Edited by: Erin Offer
First Camera: Vusi Magubane
Second Camera: Ignatius Mokone
Camera Operators: Thabiso Mohapeloa, Kurt Orderson, Alistair Andersen
Final Mix: Arno Keyser (Blind Productions)
Camera Supplied by: Alex Musoke
Photographs by: Lerato Maduna, Hugh Mdlalose, Nhlanhla Mngadi, Faith 47, Smirk, Godessa, Beef, Chigo Gondwe, Dominique Soma
Additional footage provided by: Chigo Gondwe, Godessa, Nhlanlha Hlongwane, Smirk, Clinton Cerf, Lee Kasumba
Music provided by: Hugh Mdlalose, Mangaliso Ngonyoza, Chigo Gondwe, Grenville Williams
Cape Town Unit
Key Production Assistant: Kato
Flights provided by: Sharmin Mackay
Accommodation: Zamo Mji & Sizwe Mji
Transport: Sharmin Mackay
Special Thanks to:
The Canada Council for the Arts
Judy Chang
Alex Musoke
Sharmin Mackay
Lee Kasumba
Kato
Jenny Hu
