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Township Voices - The Dloko High School Choir

In January 2015 I accompanied an Edinburgh based charity, Jabulani Project on a visit to Durban, South Africa to document the amazing work they are doing with young people there.
This is the first film from a series of shorts I will be producing with the fantastic footage I captured when over. This film was shot in challenging conditions at Dloko High School, Umlazi Township, on 23rd January 2015.

  • Mark A Small
    Director
  • Mark A Small
    Writer
  • Mark A Small
    Producer
  • The Dloko High School Choir
    Key Cast
  • Thabo Mbeje
    Camera Operators
  • Ntuthuko Ntuli
    Camera Operators
  • Doug Young
    Production Stills
  • Project Type:
    Music Video, Student
  • Genres:
    Choir, South Africa, Township
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 21 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 7, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    South Africa
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    1080 HD
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director - Mark A Small
Director Statement

I have just finished my third year at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design where I am studying BA (Hons) Time Based Art and Digital Film. In January 2015 I traveled to South Africa to document the work of a charity I am involved with. The first project from this trip, a music video of the Dloko High School Choir performing in the grounds of their school, I have submitted for assessment as part of my degree project. I first worked with the choir after meeting them at the Edinburgh Fringe in August last year. Their story touched me so much I offered to record one of their performances, which is now available to download via iTunes. The charities involved in bringing them to Scotland, asked me to accompany them to Durban, to document their work and make some short films to help raise their profile, and generate much needed funds.
The film was shot on 23rd January, in hot, windy conditions, with very little equipment. There was only a two hour window, in our demanding schedule to film this performance. I had help with filming from two young local film makers, to allow me to fully concentrate on the audio capture. The film will now be used to promote the choir’s return to Edinburgh this summer, where they will perform a string of dates at the Assembly Rooms. The finished piece was released on my YouTube channel on 16th April 2015