Inxeba | The Wound

"An instant classic"

City Press

"Nakhane Touré makes an impressive screen debut"

Hollywood Reporter

"A potent drama of sexual identity and divided loyalty "

The New York Times

"A milestone in South African cinema"

Variety

"Urgent and original, John Trengove's 'The Wound' is a truly deserving recipient of the LFF Sutherland Award for Best First Feature"

Palm Springs International Film Festival

"Nakhane Touré has been awarded the FIPRESCI prize for the Best Actor in a Foreign Language Film, for his role in Inxeba: The Wound at the Palm Springs International Film Festival"

Awards and film festivals

Show more festivals

Sundance Film FestivalWorld Cinema Competition
BerlinalePanorama – Opening Film
New Directors / New FilmsOfficial Selection
Mooov Film FestivalOfficial Competition
Netia Off Camera International Festival of Independent CinemaOfficial Competition
Sydney International Film FestivalOfficial Competition
The Tel Aviv LGBT Film FestivalOpening Film
Torino Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalOfficial Competition
Valencia Cinema Jove International Film FestivalOfficial Competition
Taipei Film FestivalOfficial Competition
Durban International Film FestivalOfficial Competition
New Zealand International Film FestivalOfficial Competition
International Film Festival SantanderOfficial Selection
Melbourne International Film FestivalOfficial Competition
World Cinema AmsterdamOfficial Competition
Faroe Islands International Minority Film FestivalOfficial Selection
Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film FestivalOfficial Selection
Helsinki International Film FestivalOfficial Selection
Queer PortoOfficial Selection
CPH:PIXOfficial Selection
61st BFI London Film FestivalFirst Feature Competition
Mumbai Film FestivalOfficial Selection
CinemafricaOpening Film

The story

Xolani, a lonely factory worker, joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood. When a defiant initiate from the city discovers his best kept secret, Xolani’s entire existence begins to unravel.

In conversation

Director John Trengove and actor Nakhane Touré talk about their experiences making The Wound and how life has changed for them after its initial debut.

Nakhane Touré's interview

John Trengove's interview

Cast

Bongile Mantsai

Vija

Nakhane Touré

Xolani

Niza Jay Ncoyini

Kwanda

Thobani Mseleni

Babalo

Gamelihle Bovana

Initiate

Halalisani Bradley Cebekhulu

Initiate

Sibabalwe Ngqayana

Initiate

Siphosethu Ngcetane

Initiate

On Twitter

@THEWOUND_SAFILM

"Issues of sexuality, generational divide, class and self-loathing are cross-stitched into a compelling patchwork of edgy masculinity"

‘The Wound’ Is A Beautiful Story About Gay Love In The Face Of Cultural Traditions

What happens when traditional beliefs and modern life come into conflict? In 'The Wound', director Jon Trengrove explores this dynamic in a...read more

Huffington Post / 23.01.2017

‘The Wound’: LGBT film breaks taboos and ignites debate in South Africa

"An uncircumcised Xhosa man is a contradiction of in terms, for he is not considered a man at all, but a boy."...read more

CNN / 07.03.2017

South African film The Wound to be screened at Sundance

This weekend, The Wound will become the second South African narrative film to be screened at the Sundance Film Festival in the event’s 39...read more

Mail and Guardian / 18.01.2017

Sundance Film Review: ‘The Wound’

John Trengove's hard-edged but beautifully wrought study of clashing Xhosa models of masculinity will be an eye-opener to outsiders — and...read more

Variety / 21.01.2017

The Wound | Defining Masculinity

There are a number of films which try to exemplify what being a man means in the current world. It’s a topic which is a cause for debate,...read more

Switch / 08.06.2017

Review: Boys Become Men in the Unsettling ‘The Wound’

"[Trengove's] direction is perfectly judged up to and including the shudder-inducing ending."...read more

The New York Times / 15.08.2017

Press information

The Wound is a breakthrough narrative – a surprising, singular story told from an African perspective. Recognised from Sundance to Taipei as a masterful piece of filmmaking, and leading a new wave of African cinema, it’s equal parts coming-of-age story, love story and intense psychological thriller. This press kit contains key facts and figures about the film, as well as cast and crew information, synopsis and interview materials.