Lost Tongue garners powerhouse US critics Award

South African feature documentary film Lost Tongue has received the esteemed Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) award following its premier at the Socially Relevant Film Festival New York last week.

Presenting the award last Sunday night, WFCC representative Edie Nugent, a New York based writer and publicist said their organization was an association of 80 women film critics and scholars from around the world formed 12 years ago.

She said the organization was founded "in the belief that women's perspectives in film need greater recognition".

She highlighted that the film documented the struggle to preserve the language of the Khomani San people of the Kalahari of South Africa.

Film director Davison Mudzingwa said "We are encouraged by this recognition. It gives us confidence that the body of work we did resonates with the whole world. However more importantly the award gives the film traction


Film director Davison Mudzingwa - Directing Lost Tongue

"Our aim is that the whole world should take notice of the urgent intervention required in the Kalahari but most importantly for everyone to reflect and save their identity."

He added that the award was tribute to the people of Kalahari who "allowed us to work with them. They showed that, despite the problems they face, there is still hope for humanity."


Directinging Lost Tongue

MeSun Barnett the US producer of Lost Tongue called the picture a "piece of peace".

She said the film reveals a cultural and spiritual battle through time as the language faces absolute extinction.

Barnett added that today the fight " continues with new conflicts against time with the number of surviving people who can speak the language diminish".

The film journeys forward, and is set to premiere at the Singapore World International Film Festival in April, whilst gearing up for to compete with films from around the globe for the title, Best Feature Documentary in Toronto at the ReelheART International Film and Screenplay Festival in July.

Engendered from from the documentary, the filmmakers have begun a new journey of driving a social impact programme, the Lost Tongue Legacy Project.

The team's objective is to strengthen current partnerships whilst forming "new bridges of opportunities" for the construction of a multimedia centre at the heart of the Khomani san community in the Kalahari Desert.

Francis Yannicq Hweshe, the South African producer of the film said the centre would allow the community learns to tell their own stories through film, radio, photography and multimedia.

Hweshe said: "We want to play our part in stemming the tide and to be part of the efforts to roll it back. This centre will be the symbol of hope and regeneration of the N!uu language".