by Oliver Schmitz
This film centres on the twelve-year-old Chanda, who must fight against the prejudices and superstitions of her village near Johannesburg following the death of her sister. Little by little, she uncovers new details about the tabooed “mysterious illness” that claimed her sibling as its victim and threatens her mother and the cohesion of her family. She intends to break the fatal silence. LIFE, ABOVE ALL is a universal story about solidarity, courage and hope. Created by the Cape Republic born director Oliver Schmitz, this film not only tells the story of a moving mother-daughter relationship in a wealth of impressive images but also reflects modern-day South Africa: lively, complex and full of extremes.