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DIRECTED BY JENNA BASS

South Africa | 2014 | English, isiXhosa with English subtitles | 88 minutes | NA

Jenna Bass is carving out a new aesthetic and narrative for local films. Her debut, as the director of Love the One You Love, has been praised for welcoming in a “new wave of South African filmmaking”. Shot using handheld camera and on a micro-budget, Bass’ film tells the story of two people who discover that their romantic relationships may be a part of a conspiracy to keep them in – or out – of love

Love the One You Love defies the aesthetics of local films that South African audiences are so accustomed to seeing on their big screens, and tells a bizarre story. Set in Cape Town, there’s a phone-sex operator, lots of neon lights, and a cameo from a traditional healer.

The film won Best Actress, Best South African Feature Film and Best Direction in a South African Feature Film at the Durban International Film Festival in 2014. In this interview, we take Bass’ temperature and ask her about her debut film and where it fits in South Africa.