Generating buzz ahead of its streaming debut, the trailer for Moffie has landed.
Moffie adapts André Carl van der Merwe’s autobiographical novel about white soldiers enforcing the apartheid government of South Africa in the 1980s to the big screen. The story centers on Nicholas Van der Swart (played by Kai Luke Brummer), a closeted man drafted into the very homophobic military. There, he develops a romantic attraction to Stassen (Ryan de Villiers), a fellow recruit. Incidentally, “moffie” is a homophobic slur commonly used in South Africa, which refers to an effeminate man.
Related: Student kicked out of South African college for being gay
Moffie won raves at the Venice Film Festival last year, and would have enjoyed a theatrical release here in the US. Unfortunately, the coronavirus has forced the film to debut on streaming last week in South Africa & the UK. A US release date remains pending.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Kieran
Another gay themed movie that will likely never see the light of day on TV. Not even in between re-runs of ‘Roseanne’ and ‘Golden Girls’ on what was billed as “the gay cable channel”, Logo.
carolpshort
I got inspired and start work now i am making 175 Buck.per hour. Its to easy to do this, every one can do this no experience or skill required just join the given link and start earning from very first day. Here is link…? 6.gp/a72Ln
Saps48
This movie may not show up on regular broadcast or cable TV, but there are dozens if not hundreds of gay-themed titles on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu. I can’t even keep up with them, my queues go on and on and on…
john.k
It was shown at the Dublin International Film Festival but unfortunately it was booked out when I tried to see it. It has gotten excellent reviews. There is something wrong with the headline here though – it’s a South African soldier!
Kangol2
Sheesh. A movie about a closeted White gay man who falls for another White gay man as they both work to reinforce one of the worst systems of racist oppression in 20th century history, i.e. South African apartheid. Vomitacious.
john.k
They were conscripted. I had a work colleague back in the 80s who had lived in South Africa. Although his nationality was Irish, not South African, as an SA resident he was conscripted into the SA army. The training methods were very harsh. He eventually deserted and came back to Ireland. The SA agency BOSS (Bureau of State Security) tracked him down and kept sending him threatening letters. Had he returned to SA during the apartheid period he would have been imprisoned.
white-queer-african
A brilliant movie and a must see. I shed many a tear whilst watching the movie. The memories came flooding back – 1978 was the year for me. The horrors of the South African apartheid regime, forced conscription and the persecution of gay men in the army. For some bizarre reason lesbian women that joined the permanent force were welcomed with open arms. Sadly most of them gave the gay guys a terrible time. For two years, the duration of the conscription, we were a group of 15 gay guys that refused to be in the closet. We had good times and bad times. Because we were moffies we were not to go to the border to fight the war as those in charge believed we would corrupt the straight soldiers. If only they knew what was happening back home in our unit!
And yes, as @john.k states, the headline is indeed incorrect.
Another brilliant gay movie reflecting life in the South African army at the time is “Kanarie”. Released 2 yeas ago. It focused on gay guys in the army choir.
Bubbleandsqueal
Plays like a South African version of “Yossi and Jagger.”
Joshooeerr
I’ve just watched this, having also recently read the book. And if you liked the book, you might also enjoy the movie. However, while the book powerfully captures the deeply homophobic culture of the South African army during got apartheid years, it also lacks any real narrative drive, has a largely passive narrator/central character, and has only caricatures besides him. The movie is extremely faithful to the book, which is to say it’s meandering, frustratingly uneventful and ultimately unsatisfying.
just me
seriously? you guys can’t tell the difference between south african and british?
Woteva
I haven’t seen it yet (definitely will soon) but here in the UK the director gave an interview on BBC radio and said he decided to change the movie from the original book which has much more detail of the relationship. Might read the book first and compare. You can only watch the movie online here and it costs the equivalent of $15 for the pleasure! Very steep in comparison to the plethora of current movies to stream for half the cost.
tallskin2
LOL what a bunch of idiots to confuse south africans with british! That’d be like me, a brit, confusing a canadian for a dumb arse yank
And you yanks wonder why we all think you’re arrogant and dumb?
Beanie16
It looks like a good movie. Someone mentioned Netflix, Amazon & Hulu’s extensive list of gay themed movies. Has anyone else noticed the quality of gay movies made in the US compared to the quality of our movies made elsewhere? There are a few made for cable or web series where the acting & writing are really good but when it comes to movies it feels like the production, the writing, the actors ect are fresh out of a midwestern film school. I know $ is a major factor but come on Eating Out 1,2 or 3 are garbage. If IMHO Eastsiders can produce the quality of a show they do on the budget they do then why is it that US movies can’t? My Beautiful Launderette & Beautiful Thing were two of the 1st gay themed movies I ever saw. Both made in the UK. Believing that only a gay man can or should play a gay role is one factor, gay men have played straight men & women for hundreds of yrs. If a script is good then let the actor who has actual talent play the role! Maybe GLAAD could focus on educating our community, Film School, Acting Studios. My ex is a well known studio & orchestra musician in LA, he played the Oboe a very technical instrument. He once said that the saying “Those that can do, those that can’t teach” gave too many untalented people teaching people to be failures like themselves. He would often work with young musicians nurturing the talented. I wish more successful LGBT people in the in the industry would give back in education & investment in our communities.
CityguyUSA
There’s thousands of gay movies but for each 1,000 there’s barely 1 good one for each of the 999 bad ones.
rocknstan
So true. I have wasted far too much time trying to sort out the worthy ones from the bad, and there are some really BAD ones out there. The foreign gay films are generally much better than the American productions.
Daggerman
well of course he gets kicked out of a college by South Africans they are only doing what the rest of the World would do. Remember we, the human race, will eventually get round to realizing homosexuality is normal, natural and healthy. Evolution never stops pissing you off. Why because It’s always behind.
Daggerman
…kicked out of the army…should have said.