Mbeki salutes Tsotsi Oscar
2006-03-06 13:18
Cape Town - South African President Thabo Mbeki has
congratulated local writer and director Gavin Hood and the entire cast and
crew
of the film Tsotsi for wining the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at
the
78th Academy Awards on Sunday.
In a statement on Monday, Mbeki said the award for Tsotsi, was "yet
another well deserved accomplishment of our country and people".
"A story of poverty, hopelessness and struggle transformed into faith
and a
profound moral re-awakening leading to better future, Tsotsi, is another
appropriate representation of the "Age of Hope", stated Mbeki.
"It bears
testimony to the abundance of South African talent and symbolises what South
Africans can achieve when we work together towards a common objective.
Tsotsi,
brings sharply to the fore the important role that the arts can play in
nation
building.
He said the award had given a boost to the local film industry,
following
the winning of the Best Actress by South African Charlize Theron in 2004 as
well as the nomination of another South African film, Yesterday, while
simultaneously propelling the country forward on the global stage, "to which
we
were so recently re-admitted and are indebted to make a contribution towards
its betterment."
"On behalf of the Government and people of South African, I would like
to
congratulate Gavin Hood, the cast and the entire team for a remarkable
achievement. They have made our nation immensely proud," the president
concluded.
Pallo Jordan's message
Meanwhile, Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordan also sent a congratulatory message, Sapa reports.
"I want the cast and production team of the acclaimed movie Tsotsi to know that I and millions of other South Africans salute them for the splendid and challenging contribution they have made to indigenous African film making," Jordan said.
"Their achievement has revealed to the world, and the US in particular, that South African talent not only has the potential to stand tall and compete as equals with our international counterparts, but is also of world class," he added.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said: "This is a massive vote of confidence in the skills, flair and dedication of workers in the creative arts in South Africa."
"Let us hope that the success of Tsotsi will encourage a big increase in local procurement of films, TV shows and stage plays, which will create large numbers of jobs and provide top quality entertainment for South Africans," said spokesperson Patrick Craven.
Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon congratulated all those involved in the making of Tsotsi for their success at the Oscars.
"The Tsotsi award for best foreign film is another milestone in South Africa's continued breakthrough into the international market, and a cause for all South Africans to feel proud," he said.
This achievement, taken together with the Oscar win for South African-born and trained cinematographer Dion Beebe and another best-actor nomination for Charlize Theron, had put South Africa squarely in the global spotlight.
"It has never been more critical, therefore, for the government to provide the necessary support to the local film industry so that we can capitalise on the opportunity.
"A resurgence in the local film industry has the potential to hold many positive spin-offs, not the least of which is much-needed job creation," he said.