WITH:

DIRECTED BY VIRGIL WIDRICH
AUSTRIA/LUXEMBOURG, 2003
14 MINUTES
Filmsource Information

“(A) portrait of a flamboyant subculture… Rønde demonstrates a painterly eye and ripe affection for these people. Fine wide-screen lensing captures the seedy glamour of Jo’burg dancehalls and townships and the dazzling countryside with equal ease.”
– Leslie Felperin, Variety

“Both moving and entertaining. A great viewing experience.”
– Addina Bradeanu, Dox Magazine

SATURDAY NIGHT IN JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA: FLAMBOYANT, STYLISH (AND STRAIGHT) BLUE-COLLAR ZULU MEN replace their overalls with colorful designer suits to compete in fashion shows of their own making. They live to go “swenking” — matching double-breasted Pierre Cardin suits with hats, socks, and breast-pocket handkerchiefs, suavely dancing a slow fox trot before the judges. More than a ritual, swenking is considered a way of life that connotes a respectable lifestyle. Swenkas emphasize self-esteem, fatherhood, and abstemiousness. THE SWENKAS offers a vision of Africa that would fit comfortably within the pages of GQ. Preceded by FAST FILM, a dizzyingly rich collage through Hollywood iconography.