Rise: Siya Kolisi Story – FilmInk

by Pauline Adamek

Year: 2023

Director: Tebogo Malope

Rated: PG

Edition: July 14, 2024

Playing time: 92 minutes

Worth: €14.00
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Africa Film Fest Australia

Form:
She is Kolisi

Introduction:
…paints a vivid portrait of resilience, perseverance and the power of sport to transcend racial barriers and brutal oppression.

A sports documentary directed and co-written by Tebogo Malope, Rise: Siya Kolisi Story introduces viewers to Siya Kolisi, a South African professional rugby player and currently captain of the South African national team.

The opening moments of this hagiographic biopic are arresting: a camera drifts dreamily through the dusty streets of a rural town as children play football and roll spare tires. The camera drifts through the doors of a wooden hut. We meet the narrator, who remembers the auspicious date of her grandson’s birth and announces that she is blind. These are the humble roots of the rugby legend’s formative years.

News footage brings us to the film’s central subject. We see a selection of talking heads, over footage of the rugby star in action, explaining how Kolisi’s rise from poverty to become the first black Springbok captain brought him hero status. People said to him, “No, you can’t do it.” And he kept saying, “No, just watch.” Talking heads opine, “What you get in Siya Kolisi is a real glimmer of hope.” We see fans chanting, “We love you!”

With Siya as captain – the first time a black player has captained the Springbok team – this moment is significant for South Africa, for black people. “He was meant to lead,” people recall. “When the opportunity came, he was ready. His journey was difficult. It was tough. He had to overcome so many challenges.” “Siya’s role was going to be bigger than rugby.”

As a black captain, the 28-year-old Kolisi led the Springboks for the first time in the team’s illustrious history and rose to the top of a sport long associated with apartheid. We even see Nelson Mandela proclaim how “sport can create hope where once there was only despair.”

“It was quite tough,” Kolisi recalls. Growing up in the township, playing, training barefoot. “We learned to use everything around us.” We see that he is imbued with a resilient spirit, and instilled with values ​​of tenacity and diligence. Kolisi speaks of “ubuntu” – defined as a quality that “encompasses the essential virtues: compassion and humanity.”

He talks about his upbringing, the joy of growing up as a child in a community where the village raises the next generation. We hear Fezakele Kolisis, Kolisi’s father, recall how difficult life was under apartheid, which is defined as “the policy of segregation and political, social, sporting and economic discrimination against the non-white majority in the Republic of South Africa.”

We see a transformation from a shy, reserved young boy to a charismatic leader and role model. The documentary does not ignore the challenges Kolisi faced as a black player in a predominantly white sport, but offers a nuanced perspective on race relations in South Africa and the wider impact of Kolisi’s success on the cultural psyche of the country.

Ultimately, what emerges is a portrait of not just a rugby superstar, but an honest man. The story skillfully weaves together key highlights from Kolisi’s career, including his debut for the Springboks and their historic victory at the 2019 World Cup. Interspersed between these milestones are intimate interviews with Kolisi himself, as well as his family, friends, teammates and coaches — all of whom offer insight into the man behind the controversial captaincy.

Malope’s documentary chronicles the remarkable journey of this talented athlete, from a humble background and challenging upbringing in the townships of Port Elizabeth to leading the Springboks to their third Rugby World Cup victory in 2019.

The thoughtful and at times beautiful documentary combines personal interviews, archive footage and cinematic reenactments. Rise: Siya Kolisi Story paints a vivid portrait of resilience, perseverance and the power of sport to transcend racial barriers and brutal oppression.