Rough Aunties

Fearless, feisty and resolute, the ‘rough aunties’ are a group of women unwavering in their stand to protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. The outspoken, multiracial cadre wage a daily battle against systemic apathy, corruption and greed which don’t stand a chance against this united force of women.

3/14 6:30 (H-D) & 3/16 6:30 (Latchis)

Rough Aunties 2008 

Kim Longinotto 

103 min  South Africa    Doc

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Synopsis

ROUGH AUNTIES
A film by Kim Longinotto

Fearless, feisty and resolute, the “Rough Aunties” are a remarkable group of women unwavering in their stand to protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. This latest documentary by internationally acclaimed director Kim Longinotto (Sisters in Law, Divorce Iranian Style) follows the outspoken, multiracial cadre of Thuli, Mildred, Sdudla, Eureka and Jackie, as they wage a daily battle against systemic apathy, corruption, and greed to help the most vulnerable and disenfranchised of their communities.
Despite the harsh realities of violence, poverty, and racism in the women’s work at the Bobbi Bear child welfare organization and in the heartaches of their personal lives, the portraits that emerge on screen are filled with grace, wisdom, friendship, and a deeply stirring conviction. Neither politics, nor social or racial divisions stand a chance against the united force of the women. Once again Longinotto has managed to bring us an intimate portrait of change from Africa, this time from post-apartheid South Africa, a nation being transformed with hope and energy into a new democracy.
Rough Aunties was acquired for broadcast by HBO Documentary Films, and was produced by Rise Films.

Director’s Bio
Internationally acclaimed director Kim Longinotto is one of the pre-eminent documentary filmmakers working today, renowned for creating extraordinary human portraits and tackling controversial topics with sensitivity and compassion. Longinotto's films have won international acclaim and dozens of premiere awards at festivals worldwide, including the World Cinema Jury Prize in Documentary at Sundance for ROUGH AUNTIES. Highlights include perhaps one of her best known works, SISTERS IN LAW (2005), winner of a 2008 Peabody Award and two Cannes awards, including the Cannes Prix art et Essai Award; THE DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET (2003), which won the Amnesty International DOEN Award at IDFA and Best Doc UK Spotlight at Hot Docs; the recent HOLD ME TIGHT, LET ME GO (2007), winner of the Special Jury Prize at the International Documentary Film Festival, Amsterdam (IDFA); The BAFTA Award-winning DIVORCE IRANIAN STYLE (1998); DREAM GIRLS (1993), winner of Best Documentary at Films de Femmes, Creteil; and SHINJUKU BOYS (1995), winner for Outstanding Documentary at the Sand Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Longinotto studied camera and directing at England's National Film School (NFS), where she made PRIDE OF PLACE, a critical look at her boarding school, and THEATRE GIRLS, documenting a hostel for homeless women. After the NFS she worked as the cameraperson on a variety of documentaries for TV including CROSS AND PASSION, an account of Catholic women in Belfast, and UNDERAGE, a chronicle of unemployed adolescents in Coventry.
In 1986, Longinotto formed the production company Twentieth Century Vixen with Claire Hunt. Together they made FIRERAISER, a look at Sir Arthur Bomber Harris and the bombing of Dresden during WWII; EAT THE KIMONO, about the controversial Japanese feminist performer Hanayagi Genshu; HIDDEN FACES, the internationally acclaimed, collaborative documentary with/about Egyptian women; and THE GOOD WIFE OF TOKYO about women, love and marriage in Japanese society. Throughout this time, she made a series of ten broadcast and non-broadcast videos on special needs issues, including TRAGIC BUT BRAVE for Channel 4. With Jano Williams, Longinotto directed the audience pleaser DREAM GIRLS, a BBC-produced documentary of the spectacular Japanese musical theatre company; and SHINJUKU BOYS, about three Tokyo women who live as men. Next, she made ROCK WIVES for Channel 4 about the wives and girlfriends of rock stars, followed by DIVORCE IRANIAN STYLE with Ziba Mir-Hosseini, about women and divorce in Iran. She then made two short films for the BEST FRIENDS series on Channel 4: STEVE & DAVE - about two friends who work as a drag act and ROB & CHRIS about two homeless young men. Her following film, GAEA GIRLS made with Jano Williams, was about women wrestlers in Japan, and then RUNAWAY, also made with Ziba Mir-Hosseini, was set in a refuge for girls in Tehran. Her film THE DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET, about young girls in Kenya challenging the tradition of female circumcision premiered domestically at Sundance in 2003. More recent films include the highly acclaimed SISTERS IN LAW, about female justices in Kumba, Cameroon, and HOLD ME TIGHT, LET ME GO, about troubled children at England’s Mulberry Bush School.

What people are saying about ROUGH AUNTIES

“A surefire Oscar nominee for doc next year…. Masterful, gut-wrenching, uplifting…. A great story here to which every person can relate. Even though South Africa has so many specific issues, this movie is universal and somehow, more relevant that ever.” David Poland Hotblog “Inspiring…exemplary…. A doc of complete wonder, it makes so many other documentaries seem so self-indulgent.” Charlie Phillips Sheffield Int’l Documentary Film Festival

“Unnerves and inspires in equal measure.”
David Ng
Sundance Film Festival
“A rare movie, one that balances tragedy and a sense of empowerment, compassion with outrage.”
Tom Hall
Indiewire
“Completely amazing and inspiring…[an] unwavering and unbiased look at tough subject matter [that] definitely should be seen.”
Nathan Truesdell All These Wonderful Things
“The emotions are raw and right on the surface in this doc…. The camera never flinches.” Hank Sartin Time Out Chicago

More Info
Hi-res photos are available for download on this film’s web catalog page at www.wmm.com.
For press inquiries please contact:
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