In the late 1970s in South Africa it was quite difficult to imagine the end of the apartheid regime.
It was to end only in the mid-1990s, but on the cultural fringes they had already grown counter-voices of idealistic young people, who were not afraid of expressing their opinions loudly.
After the massacre of hundreds of schoolchildren, who went out to protest against the government's decision to teach them in the Afrikaans language (an event that will be remembered in the pages of history as the "Soweto Riots"), three guys decided to form a punk band, in which blacks and whites protest against the injustices of the South African government.
This is the story of "This is National Wake - a documentary film directed by Mirissa Neff, an American director, media personality and DJ, about who was called "the band that defied apartheid".
Throughout history, quite a few musicians and bands cheered against the authorities.
The first name that comes to mind in this context is of course that of the female group Posy Riot, whose members were imprisoned and punished for going against the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
But to find ones whose very establishment is considered an act of defiance (in the case of the National Wake band, the connection between a young white Jewish man and two black brothers is considered a violation of the laws of racial segregation) - it is a little rarer.
"The very fact that they went on stage together is considered a brave act," says Neff.
"But not only that. The way the band was formed is also considered subversive. Ivan Kaday lives on the university side of Johannesburg, in a complex where everyone was white and in a white area of the city."
"The First Act of Defiance"
"But Mike Labisi didn't live his life based on the structures imposed on him," she adds.
"He was black and went where he wanted. So he rolled into this house, where young people from the liberal arts scene of the city lived, and that's how he met Ivan. They both liked the same music, the chemistry between them was immediate, and the band was formed. But to allow the band to rise and prosper they They had to live together, and that was the initial act of defiance: blacks and whites under the same roof. Really crazy. It sounds so insane that it happened back in our lifetime. It wasn't that long ago."
Even before getting to the music, National Wake's Si Four emphasizes how important underground scenes are to the exchange of ideas and free thought. From there they usually flow to the center.
"Exactly. These are people who wanted to feel like they were part of the world, while the rest of the world boycotted South Africa. The white power structure needed the black workforce, it just didn't want it around. But it was clear that at some point there would be illicit mixing, and people knew how to leverage them".
Mirissa Neff, photo: Matthew Reamer
At one point in the film, the band members say they thought they were going to be shot during a performance. How do you explain their decision to continue performing? Is it courage or desperation?
"In a certain sense it was pointing out the bluff, because such a significant part of the apartheid regime was based on deterrence and control through it. Of course there were many people who were punished, imprisoned and suffered in those years, but could the government have banned or killed everyone? No. I congratulate So National Wake pointed to the lie."
changed the perception
There are those who will continue to argue that it is naive to think that music really has the power to change.
"I think it's a really stupid notion. National Wake's lyrics were too political for the government. After listening to their lyrics, you couldn't turn a blind eye to the injustices that were happening in South Africa at the time. I think music absolutely has the power to change people, and get them involved in issues Maybe they didn't really understand before."
"This is National Wake" will be screened at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, as part of the Solidarity Film and Human Rights Festival that will take place between December 1 and 10.
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