Nomaliphathwe Gwele, is like many other young post-apartheid South Africans: impoverished and fed up. Unable to afford the rent of a shack, she joins a land occupation action and builds her own in a new slum, risking violent evictions. As a single mother of two, Noma is keen to find a safe haven to raise her kids, including her semi-paraplegic and blind baby. Shot in beautiful black and white with a strong neorealist ethic, “Noma” captures a common struggle in South Africa that pits a huge segment of the population against the government, law enforcement and private companies who perform evictions. Stylistically innovative, the social realism of the story brings home the struggle for justice and dignity in a difficult environment.

Winner of the Amnesty International Human Rights Award at the 37th DIFF.