The Wound shows a young man question his sexuality in South Africa | Photo: Uracu
The Wound is the ground-breaking portrayal of a gay romance in South Africa – but it’s been classified as porn.
Initially coming out in South Africa cinemas on 2 February, it had a rating of 16LS. But cinemas began pulling the movie in response to protests over its plotline. This led South African legislators to brand the movie an X18, a rating that usually only porn movies get.
The film follows a gay love story alongside a local initiation custom ‘Ulwaluko.’
It sees hundreds of young men sent ‘to the mountain’ on a rite of passage experience, part of which includes circumcision.
Now, The Wound’s team have been back in court this week to argue against the film’s adult rating.
Though it currently has a temporary rating halfway between 16LS and porn after a ruling by a local judge, meaning it can return to cinemas – it faces a long battle ahead. The National House of Traditional Leaders fought hard against this decision.
In this week’s Pretoria High Court appearance the court heard from the filmmakers, a representative of the initiation process and the local censor.
The judge is due to give his verdict in the coming days. But both camps will be able to appeal the decision. So the coming decision is unlikely to be the end of this fight.
The film’s local distributor Indigenous Film Distribution told Deadline:
‘We will assess the progress with our legal team once Judge Ralinga has ruled on the review. At the moment the film is in cinemas with the 18 SNLVP rating.’
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One African king is not happy with the film’s release, but not because of the gay content.
Zwelonke Sigcawu is the king of the amaXhosa people, an ethnic group found mostly in South Africa. He is concerned the movie is revealing too much about the culture’s private customs.
It follows factory worker Xolani, played by musician and actor Nakhane Touré. Xolani is asked to guide a younger man, Kwanda (Niza Jay Ncoyini) through a rite of passage into manhood.
This trial leads Kwanda and Xolani to discover and understanding themselves, including their sexualities.
As the film focuses on the initiation process for young men, secrets some amaXhosa women are unaware of, many are upset this is being shared.
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