Film

Marigolds in August

1980 · 1h 27m · Drama

Marigolds in August was written by Athol Fugard, who in the early 1980s was South Africa's most celebrated playwright. Fugard's intense political opinions were enough for the USSR to object to Marigolds being shown in the 1980 Berlin Festival, but the objections were dropped when it was learned that Fugard had already built up a strong fan following in Eastern Europe (for various reasons, the film was not released in the US until 1984). Winston Ntshona stars as a black South African gardener who travels by foot into the white community looking for a job. Upon arriving, Ntshona discovers that another black, John Kani, may have been hired for that job. Ntshoa ruins the chances for himself and Kani by accusing the other man of planning a theft. Both men are eventually hired by a fellow outcast, a white poacher (played by Anthol Fugard himself). The message would seem to be that if the have-nots of the world stick together, it matters little how badly they're treated by the "haves."

Winston Ntshona

Daan

John Kani

Melton

Athol Fugard

Paulus Olifant

Nomonde Mhlobiso

Alice

Joyce Hesha

Melton's wife

Mandla Nene

Man

Mabel Ntshinga

Emily

Dudu Nene

Sophie

Zola Marwanqa

Evelina

• Ross DevenishDirector
• Athol FugardWriter
• Mark ForstaterProducer
• Michael J. DavisDirector of Photography

Release date

December 31, 1980

Status

Released

Original language

English

Runtime

1h 27m

Genres

Drama