Set in 1989, during apartheid-era South Africa, APART tells the story of the dangerous friendship that forms between Themba and Joel against a backdrop of division and oppression. Screening in the Animated Shorts Tribeca section curated by Whoopi Goldberg alongside Me, Myself and Mary, Violet and Marlowe Rob a Bank, Under the Lake, Because Today Is Saturday, and Saba, the film is the brainchild of visionary filmmaker Spike Lee, here writer. South African-born director Pola Maneli brings the story to life through stunning visuals and a diverse range of animation techniques. As Music Supervisor, Grammy-winning South African musician Black Coffee enriches the film with a layered and evocative soundscape.
Spoken in English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa, the short masterfully combines four distinct animation techniques: traditional 2D frame-to-frame, cut-out, 3D, and 2.5D. It also opens and closes with real, moving footage. APART incorporates elements of the woodcut print technique, paying homage to the art form used to communicate anti-apartheid messages and document the struggles of Black South Africans.
While featuring so much diversity, the short’s look remains consistent and overall stunning. The orangish tints—at times dreamlike, despite the story’s dramatic intensity—blend seamlessly with the now pinkish ones. South Africa’s leading fashion designer, Laduma Ngxokolo, created the distinctive isiXhosa style for the characters, adding a realistic texture to the film’s beautiful visual patterns.
Pola Maneli told The Animation Journal:
“For as long as I’ve been a professional artist, I’ve been interested in exploring life’s emotional realities without dismissing the socio-political environments that surround them. My ultimate hope for APART is that audiences see something of themselves in each of the film’s characters. I hope that our film encourages reflection on the divisions we create between ourselves and what is lost in the process.“
