The most frantically I’ve seen people run sprints on city streets was during my days as a bachelor, back when I was living deep inside the belly of Johannesburg. Thieves would snatch handbags and cellphones, with screams of “Vimba!” (stop him) stabbing the smelly air.
Kutlwano Ditsele is familiar with these scenes of crime and despair and something that has kept running through his mind is the inequalities and the abandoned dreams of many living in the city, particularly the youth.
At its core, Netflix’s new series, GO! is a story about opportunity, set against the backdrop of sport.
“When my co-creator Thuli Zuma and I were developing the show, we kept coming back to one of the biggest drivers of inequality in South Africa — access to opportunity. Some people have it and others don’t,” Ditsele says.
The high-stakes six-part series follows young sprinter Siya “Bolt” Gumede, who is given a life-changing scholarship to a prestigious school in Johannesburg.
While Siya is the fastest kid on the block, without the right person noticing him, his talent would have gone to waste simply because of where he was born, Ditsele says. “This is a reality many South Africans can relate to. How many Siya Kolisis or Steve Jobses exist in our country, their potential unseen simply because they weren’t given a platform?”
After 30 years of democracy, the inequalities between public inner-city schools and private suburban schools are also still jarring.
Ditsele says it was important to highlight this theme in the series because it’s a reality that affects countless young people.
“It’s not just about access to resources; it’s about how those resources, or lack thereof, determine the opportunities one gets in life. We wanted to tell a story that reflects this everyday struggle in a way that feels authentic and deeply relatable.”
Casting magic
The depth in the stellar cast is reflective of Ditsele’s experience as casting director for shows like Zone 14, Isibaya and Gomora. Ditsele — who also serves as the series showrunner — believes in blending fresh, undiscovered talent with experienced veterans to create a dynamic balance.
Besides the heavyweight veterans in the cast there are some brilliant rising stars, including the lead Thandolwethu Zondi.
“He was our miracle casting. Director Tristan Holmes first saw a video of him doing rugby commentary and asked him to send a self-tape. The moment he auditioned, we knew we had found a star,” Ditsele says.
The resemblance between Zondi and his sickly mother, played by Dawn Thandeka King, was pure movie magic, Ditsele tells me.
“She already had her hair dyed, and when we saw how much they looked alike, we simply adjusted the colour from our original pink to match hers.”
Capturing the city
The way the series captures every nook and cranny of Johannesburg is a marvel to watch. Shot mostly in the inner city, GO! takes place around flat life and city schooling, a refreshing move from the usual township or rural settings for local sports films.
Apart from being inspired by Yizo Yizo, which explored Hillbrow in its third season in the early 2000s, Ditsele was mostly captivated by the area’s infectious energy.
“The street vendors, the commuters and, of course, the youth who bring the space to life. The city’s fast pace mirrors the energy of our show and its incredible high-rises and dynamic streets offered a fresh visual landscape, different from the more commonly used township settings.”
The city’s energy emanates from shaky footage, shot on handheld cameras. There are plenty of scenes involving running, with the camera showing sweat and muscle, offering a cinematic experience underpinned by an adrenaline rush.
Ditsele says it wasn’t just about matching the energy of running; it was also about keeping the audience in a constant state of unease: “This was a deliberate choice by our director, Holmes, and cinematographer, Brendan Barnes. GO! is shot almost entirely with a handheld camera.”
With this style, Ditsele and the team wanted to reflect “the tension, uncertainty and high stakes the protagonist faces, pulling viewers deeper into his world and the fast-paced decisions he has to make”.
The director’s eye was not only sharp in capturing facial expressions in close-up shots, but also the nuances of inner city — the laundry hanging in the bedroom, skating street pickers and rushing residents among buzzing taxis. Add stunning high-angle shots of Joburg’s cityscape, accompanied by Zethu Mashika’s striking compositions, and the series is essentially an ode to inner-city living.
Hopes and dilemmas
Despite their disadvantaged environment, families and friends still bond over supper, affirmed by love and a resilient spirit. The series gives untainted hope that talent can get someone a seat at any table. It highlights the supportive structures always ready to shout to the heavens in support of one of their own.
Where I am from, when someone wins, the family and community also win — but at what cost to one’s dreams and identity?
The series challenges viewers to question whether black communities still depend on the benevolence of white-controlled institutions to fulfil their dreams. Are we still people waiting to be saved or can we save ourselves?
In the scene where Siya arrives at his prestigious new school the teacher condescendingly welcomes him as a “project” being taken out of poverty.
Such instances make us think about how someone can adapt to new environments without forgetting where they come from.
Viewers are challenged to think about decisions around morality through Siya’s dilemma. What does one do when faced with difficult choices involving personal relationships and pursuing one’s dream?
Siya’s battle with grief and guilt also prompts pondering. How long can someone run from their trauma before it catches up with them?
Running towards the future
Despite the nagging issue of budget constraints, what runs in Ditsele’s veins is passion for storytelling. Though filmmakers in South Africa still face this obstacle, Ditsele argues the industry is working to fix it.
“GO! was fully funded by our company, Ten30 Pictures,” he tells me.
Ditsele and his team are also aiming to fund other creators. The company operates as a privately funded studio with a mission to create 30 projects in the next 10 years.
“While we were deeply involved in GO! creatively, our broader goal is to back bold and challenging stories from other filmmakers. We want to fund high-end, premium productions and then license or sell them to broadcasters and streamers.”
The ambition is necessary in a country filled with rich stories but lacking access to funding. Such investment and innovative business models add significantly to the industry’s value chain, especially with investors who understand the local market.
“We are very specific about the kinds of stories we want to tell. Our vision is to be the A24 of Africa, where audiences see the Ten30 name and instantly associate it with quality storytelling.”
We cheer loudly at this enterprising spirit to leave a lasting legacy in the local film and TV industry.
South Africa has had its fair share of sport-themed films over the years. There are the tired soccer films and some have shone a light on other disciplines. For instance, Knuckle City looked at boxing, Beyond the River at canoeing, Four Corners at chess and Showmax’s Spinners highlighted extreme motor sport (car spinning).
GO! adds athletics into this pool of the rich South African sport film genre to stir, probe and entertain viewers. It is a series relatable to parents who want to see their children thrive through their talents.
So, dear reader, wake those ama2000s from their slumber to gather in witnessing a high-stakes, young-adult drama that could inspire the next Wayde van Niekerk or Bayanda Walaza.
GO! premieres globally on 21 March.