The Born Free Generation, Phendulani’s Story and Me

Meet Phendulani: an extraordinary kid who survived the streets of a South African township living in a car. What can we learn from the way he sees the world?

  • Paul Cooke
    Director
  • Paul Cooke
    Writer
  • Paul Cooke
    Producer
  • Phendulani Manyala
    Key Cast
    "Phendulani Manyala"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Student
  • Genres:
    Social realism
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 27, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    South Africa
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • 'Performance and Conflict'
    Lincoln
    United Kingdom
    September 21, 2018
    UK Premiere
  • UK Arts and Humanities Film Prize

    Nominated for Best Research Film of the Year and for the Social Media Short Award
  • University of Bournemouth
    Bournemouth
    United Kingdom
    November 12, 2018
  • University of Leeds
    Leeds
    December 12, 2018
Director Biography - Paul Cooke

Born to parents from the west of Ireland, and growing up in Reading, Paul Cooke is a participatory filmmaker. He lives in Hebden Bridge and has worked with young people in Germany, South Africa, Cambodia and Lebanon. Paul trains young people to make films about the legacy of the past and its impact on their lives today. This has involved helping young people to make films about the Stasi past in a German prison, and the legacy of the Khmer Rouge in Pol Pot's last stronghold, Along Veng, Cambodia. In this, his first documentary project (made as part of his Masters Degree at Bradford University), he not only tells the story of the extraordinary young man Phendulani. He also reflects upon his work in South Africa, where he's been supporting vulnerable young people to make films about the continuing legacy of apartheid.

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