Counting Headz: South Afrika's Sistaz in Hip Hop
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- Vusi Magubane
- Erin Chen-ying
- Vusi Magubane
- Erin Chen-ying
- Thabiso Mohapeloa
- Vusi Magubane (Chop Shop Multimedia)
- 2007
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| Language | English |
Counting Headz: South Afrika's Sistaz in Hip Hop is a 49-minute documentary film that explores South African hip hop culture through the stories of women in hip hop. It was shot in 2006 and completed post-production in 2007. The film was directed and produced by South African filmmaker, Vusi Magubane, and Canadian filmmaker, Erin Chen-ying Offer.
Counting Headz is a platform for stories that are often drowned out among the male voices in hip hop. This ground-breaking documentary reveals the position of South Africa's women today; their stories are mediated through the experiences of three major artists in South Africa's hip hop scene.
MC Chi introduces the alleged contradiction of values between African and hip hop cultures. Is it possible to reconcile the two? Is it worth it to reconcile the two? Her questions thread together the obstacles encountered by fellow sistaz.
DJ Sistamatic challenges a distorted portrayal of her image in the media. Candidly, she recounts her resistance to conform to female stereotypes as she continues to make a name for herself.
Family relationships are tested when daughters step outside traditional roles; Graffiti artist Smirk works beyond her family's initial misgivings about her art and prepares to merge living hip hop and being a mother.
Alternately, they are supported and contradicted by an all-female community of hip hop artists and activists from the locally respected MC, Cuba, to the internationally acclaimed crew, Godessa.
Counting Headz is a collaboration, a labour of love, a celebration. But most importantly, it is a voice for these women's stories that are often left unheard.
Production Notes
Counting Headz was shot primarily in and around Johannesburg, the cultural and commercial capital of South Africa. The film would have been incomplete had the crew not also shot in Cape Town: the birthplace of South African hip hop. One busy week was spent in Cape Town, in which the crew interviewed Cape Town based artists and significant contributors to South African hip hop such as Godessa, Endz, Kato, Smirk, and Faith47.
Much of the original performance footage was shot at weekend hip hop shows such as Black Sunday, Slaghuis, and Splashjam, which all take place at various locations in Soweto.