More of Us should be Telling our Own Stories: Thoughts on "Necktie Youth"
Necktie Youth is a film I had been anticipating for quite some time. I was intrigued by the idea of a film for millenials that was actually made by someone in that group, about our experiences. Of course the added incentive was that it was a South African production.
Sibs Shongwe-La Mer's film follows a day in the lives of a group of Johannesburg youths from wealthy backgrounds. We get to see where they go, who they are with, what they do and how they think. It is revealing, and also a little jarring.
The film's dialogue is charming in the way that it feels like it has been lifted right out of the conversation at the bar or at a house party. It mimics daily conversation so closely and comfortably, that it feels unscripted. It also does a great job of elevating the quotidian dramas of millenial life to the level of socio-political commentary.
The characters talk about politics and their disillusionment with it, changing race relations and how they affect interactions within the…
Sibs Shongwe-La Mer's film follows a day in the lives of a group of Johannesburg youths from wealthy backgrounds. We get to see where they go, who they are with, what they do and how they think. It is revealing, and also a little jarring.
The film's dialogue is charming in the way that it feels like it has been lifted right out of the conversation at the bar or at a house party. It mimics daily conversation so closely and comfortably, that it feels unscripted. It also does a great job of elevating the quotidian dramas of millenial life to the level of socio-political commentary.
The characters talk about politics and their disillusionment with it, changing race relations and how they affect interactions within the…