Ivan Kadey

Three chords, three countries, one revolution...PUNK IN AFRICA is the story of the multiracial punk movement within the recent political and social upheavals experienced in three Southern African countries: South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

National Wake emerged in the late 1970s with anti-establishment ideals and a punk rock sound that won them a massive following within Johannesburg’s underground club scene. Their first and only record was banned by the country’s racist legal system and within a few years the group had disbanded. The two black members, brothers Punka and Gary Khoza, subsequently died tragically young. Eschewing talking heads for a dazzling audio-visual archive, including some great Super-8 footage, debut director Neff has forged a visceral portrait of a dissident group who were dedicated to the fight for racial freedom – a punk legacy that lives on through the band’s legend and its fans.