Tsotsi

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Tsotsi, 2005. This is a crime drama that was written and directed by Gavin Hood, produced by Peter Fudakowski.

The movie was adapted from the 1980 Athol Fugard novel. The story revolves around a tsotsi (meaning thug) from the slums of Johannesburg. After he hijacks a car, he discovers a sleeping baby in the back.

Tsotsi is a very powerful movie that shows the crime, tensions, and violence of life in South Africa.

So far, Tsotsi is the only South African film to have won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Critical Response

82% on Rotten Tomatoes

An average score of 7.41 out of 10.
70 out of 100 on Metacritic

Tsotsi Cast

Presley Chweneyagae as David / Tsotsi: The anti-heroic leader of a gang of small-time thugs.

Mothusi Magano as Boston / Teacher boy: A member of Tsotsi’s gang, a heavy drinker.
Kenneth Nkosi as Aap – Tsotsi’s childhood friend. Aap (which means “monkey” in Afrikaans) is an obedient friend who relies heavily on Tsotsi.