Malunde (2001)

"Malunde" is an odd-fellows buddy/road movie that features a disaffected middle-aged white South African and an 11 year-old black child of the streets.

It kicks off in confusion and excitement, builds steam and pays off with a terrific emotional wallop at the end.

It features incandescent performances by the two leads, on an impromptu backroad journey from Johannesburg to Capetown, in varied settings and difficult situations. A sense of menace hovers throughout, though the tenuous bond formed between the two principals grows stronger over time.

It has a fabulous score of South African music and is a joy to look at (gloriously filmed in wide-screen by Wim Wenders' DP). The audience loved it as I did.