The much anticipated fourth feature film from acclaimed director Jahmil X.T. Qubeka, Knuckle City is a riveting exploration of the psychology of a fighter from the Mdantsane township of South Africa.
With a legacy of producing boxing world champions, Mdantsane is a vivid character in the epic film which dissects notions of inherited toxic masculinity and the underbelly of the fighting world.
The film is a gritty and authentic glimpse into the street life of one of South Africa’s largest and oldest townships packaged in an entertaining and accessible feature film akin to Scorsese’s Mean Streets and the sensational Rocky franchise.
Produced by multiple award-winning production house Yellowbone Entertainment – helmed by prolific, young producer Layla Swart – Knuckle City is yet another sure-shot success. It’s a tangible manifestation of the evolution of the South African narrative, a slice of life in a largely undocumented corner of the country, delivered with the world-class production value that Yellowbone Entertainment has become synonymous with.
Knuckle City is a much-needed addition to the canon of South African cinema, where the less discussed aspects of the residue and repercussions of our collective national past culminate in the immediate issues confronting us in the present day.
Knuckle City will open the 40th Durban International Film Festival on 18 July 2019.