Former District Six residents and those who have returned talk about the rebuilding of an area they once called home. Under the apartheid government, District Six residents were forcibly removed from their homes and now the area is being rebuilt during a democratic era. But it is not the justice that was hoped for.
Copyright: Yazeed Kamaldien (2017)
This was a visual love letter to my home city, Cape Town, during the Covid-19 pandemic. I was working as a journalist at the time and was able to move around the city but found its empty streets was missing an essential component — citizens. A city is not a city without its people.
This short film was made for non-profit organisation Penny Appeal and its focus on funding education.
Cape Town-born artist Lionel Davis took a stand against injustice with his creativity. In this 22-minute film, he talks about life during apartheid South Africa, spending time in prison for his activism and what keeps him going. With a mighty laugh and sense of humour, his mighty heart beat prejudice.
Copyright: Yazeed Kamaldien (2018)
South African fashion designer David Tlale talks about going global, fights to protect his name and brand, while showcasing his fashion to audiences in various cities. Behind-the-scenes at his fashion shows, snippets of fans stopping him for photos and after-party chatter, all show what life is like for David Tlale.
Copyright: Yazeed Kamaldien (2014)
Darling is a small town near Cape Town, South Africa. Its reputation as a home for arts festivals has attracted visitors from all over the world. This short film explores how Darling’s residents have put their town on the cultural map.
Deceased anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela’s close friend Ahmed Kathrada reflects on his time spent imprisoned together with Mandela, and his 300 trips with guests to Robben Island just off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa.
Copyright: Yazeed Kamaldien (2015)
Thousands of people every week seek help from doctors and nurses at the Khayelitsha Hospital in Cape Town. And while many complain about public health facilities, few take the time to listen to the challenges.
Doctors and nurses at Khayelitsha Hospital say they are struggling with limited resources to help the township’s residents.
The Western Cape health minister Nomafrench Mbombo says her department has a plan to build more health facilities to meet the needs of locals.
Copyright: Yazeed Kamaldien (2015)
This documentary film was made for The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), based in Cape Town. Its focuses on the IJR’s Women’s Election Mechanism for Peace (WEMP) programme to “promote peaceful and inclusive elections in South Africa”.
The IJR states: “WEMP seeks to enhance women’s participation in both the electoral process and conflict prevention. WEMP also recognises that women are under-represented in leadership, especially in politics and its processes.
“Empowering women in communities to participate as monitors and advocates is an opportunity to be involved and a springboard to future leadership roles. WEMP has successfully trained 300 Peace Monitors with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). These monitors will be deployed across five provinces: Gauteng, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal.”
‘Kramat Festival’ is a 15-minute documentary film, sharing the history and views about an annual gathering of Cape Town’s Muslim community at the shrine of Sheikh Yusuf from Makassar in Indonesia and known for bringing Islam to the Cape.
Sheikh Yusuf was detained by Dutch colonisers for resisting their occupation in his homeland. After being banned to the Cape, he taught Islam, which is still alive in modern-day South Africa.
He is buried in a small town called Macassar, 45-minutes outside of central Cape Town, which is named after Makassar. Muslims from different parts of the world still visit the kramat, or shrine, where he is buried.
Copyright: Yazeed Kamaldien (2025)