''The Suit'' is a short drama film from South Africa written and directed by

Jarryd Coetsee Jarryd Coetsee (born August 5, 1982) is a South African writer and filmmaker. His short film, ''The Suit'' won numerous international awards. Early life and education Coetsee was born in Pretoria where he attended Pretoria Boys High School. H ...

, and produced by Luke Sharland, based on the

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

Can Themba Daniel Canodoise "Can" Themba (21 June 1924 – 8 September 1967) was a South African short-story writer. Early life Themba was born in Marabastad, near Pretoria, but wrote most of his work in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, South Africa. The town was ...

. The film stars

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

-winner

John Kani Bonisile John Kani (born 30 August 1943) is a South African actor, author, director and playwright. He is known for portraying T'Chaka in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films '' Captain America: Civil War'' (2016) and ''Black Panther'' (2018), Ra ...

as Mr. Maphikela, and his son,

Atandwa Kani Atandwa Kani (born 6 June 1984) is a South African actor. He is the son of actor John Kani. Early life Kani was born on 6 June 1984 in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. He was exposed to the entertainment industry at a young age by observing and le ...

as Philemon. Phuthi Nakene plays Matilda.

Plot

In 1950s

Sophiatown Sophiatown , also known as Sof'town or Kofifi, is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Sophiatown was a black cultural hub that was destroyed under apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "apart ...

, South Africa, a man forces his wife to treat her lover's suit as if it were a person, with tragic consequences. The film opens with a prologue in which

Spokes Mashiyane Johannes "Spokes" Mashiyane (born Vlakfontein (Mamelodi), Pretoria 20 January 1933; died at Baragwanath Hospital of cirrhosis of liver 9 February 1972) was regarded as one of the greatest pennywhistle artists who graced the South African kwela mus ...

's "Come Back" plays from an old radio in a bedroom. In a montage of shots, a person dresses: a hand removes a suit from a cupboard, the same hand polishes shoes, brushes trousers, fastens cufflinks, buttons up a jacket and finally adjusts a tie. Philemon, a middle-class lawyer awakens his sleeping wife Matilda, whom he calls Tilly, in their bedroom, with breakfast in bed. He is dressed in a suit and carries a

fedora A fedora () is a hat with a soft brim and indented crown.Kilgour, Ruth Edwards (1958). ''A Pageant of Hats Ancient and Modern''. R. M. McBride Company. It is typically creased lengthwise down the crown and "pinched" near the front on both sides ...

. The married couple lives in

, a township of

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

, in the early 1950s, shortly before the

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

regime forcibly removed non-whites from the area to make way for white resettlement under the

Group Areas Act Group Areas Act was the title of three acts of the Parliament of South Africa enacted under the apartheid government of South Africa. The acts assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a system of u ...

and the

Natives Resettlement Act, 1954 The Natives Resettlement Act, Act No 19 of 1954, formed part of the apartheid system of racial segregation in South Africa. It permitted the removal of blacks from any area within and next to the magisterial district of Johannesburg by the South ...

. She kisses him and adjusts his tie as he tells her that he better go or he will be late for work. She kisses him again for longer, then he leaves the house. Matilda climbs out of bed and walks to the bedroom window, watching Philemon walk away, then she turns back and gazes at the empty, lonely house. Philemon walks down a busy street as a caption appears on screen saying:

, 1955. At a bus-stop, under a sign that reads: Native Bus Stop, Philemon meets his old friend Mr. Maphikela who appears to be anxious because he drops his briefcase as Philemon attempts to shake his hand. Their bus arrives and the two men board. On the bus, Mr. Maphikela reluctantly informs Philemon that Matilda has been visited by a young man every morning for the last three months. Devastated, Philemon tells Maphikela that he has to go and he hurries off the bus as Maphikela tells him to keep steady. As Philemon alights from the bus, another passenger boards the bus. The white bus conductor yells at the passenger in colloquial

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

: "Nie-blankes, upstairs!", which means: "Non-whites, upstairs!" because public amenities, like buses, were segregated under

. As the bus pulls off, Maphikela watches Philemon marching past other pedestrians. In a montage of shots, Matilda pours two glasses of

whiskey Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden cask ...

, flirts and dances with a shirtless young man as

's "Zoo Lake Jive" plays from a

gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

. In the same montage, Philemon marches through the streets of

, loosening his tie aggressively and bumping into other pedestrians. The montage ends as Matilda kisses the young man and Philemon reaches the front door of his house. He opens the door, shuts it behind him, puts his briefcase down on the floor, then inhales deeply, gathering himself. Philemon walks deliberately to the bedroom where he discovers Matilda asleep in the arms of her lover. Philemon's face fills with rage. He notices the lover's suit hanging on the cupboard door. Philemon controls his anger and ambles to the cupboard, searching through it. He pretends as if he has not noticed the lovers in bed, and tells Matilda that he was nearly at work when he realised that he had left his

pass Pass, PASS, The Pass or Passed may refer to: Places *Pass, County Meath, a townland in Ireland * Pass, Poland, a village in Poland *Pass, an alternate term for a number of straits: see List of straits *Mountain pass, a lower place in a mountai ...

at home so he returned to fetch it. While saying so, Philemon drapes the lover's suit over his arm. Matilda and her lover wake with a start. The lover rushes to the window, completely naked, then leaps out of it, fleeing down the street. Philemon treads purposefully to the window, watching the man running away, then locks it. Philemon tells Matilda that he must phone his boss to let him know that he will not come in to work today as his wife is unwell. While Philemon phones his boss, Matilda dresses quickly in her nightgown and waits anxiously on the bed. Philemon returns and regards the suit. He tells Matilda that he notices that they have a visitor. Philemon commands Matilda to treat the suit with the same hospitality that she would show to a guest: it will share meals with them, it will share their bedroom, it will go for walks with them, etc. If she refuses, he says that he will kill her. For the first time in his life, Philemon goes to a

shebeen A shebeen ( ga, síbín) was originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were sold without a licence. The term has spread far from its origins in Ireland, to Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, the En ...

(an illegal speakeasy). While

's "Kwela Zulu" plays, the shebeen queen removes alcohol (the sale of which was prohibited to blacks) from below a trap-door in a side-room then brings a bottle to Philemon as he smokes. Philemon stays at the

all day, leaving Matilda alone with her thoughts and fears. When Philemon returns, he finds that Matilda has cleaned and spruced up their dingy home. She even wears a beautiful new dress and has prepared dinner. Unmoved, Philemon scolds his wife: where is their visitor? Matilda retrieves the suit and prepares a plate of food for it. Philemon instructs her how she should place the suit at the table so that it becomes indeed the third person. Matilda is petrified and scurries about as he barks orders. While Philemon eats, Matilda edges towards the window and opens it to get some air. But Philemon walks up and locks it from behind her then orders her to return to the table while he finishes his meal. This is how it should be from now on, Philemon tells her. They wash their plates and cutlery at the kitchen sink in silence, the suit hanging on the wall beside Matilda. Later, in the sitting room, Matilda irons the suit as Philemon smokes ominously behind her. On a Sunday, Philemon and Matilda walk to church. Matilda is deeply humiliated as she has to carry the suit slung over her shoulder. On the way, the couple walks past a wall on which a slogan has been painted: Ons Dak Nie, Ons Phola Hier, which is

Tsotsitaal Tsotsitaal is a vernacular derived from a variety of mixed languages mainly spoken in the townships of Gauteng province (such as Soweto), but also in other agglomerations all over South Africa. ''Tsotsi'' is a Sesotho, Pedi or Tswana slang wor ...

for We Won't Leave, We Are Staying Here. Philemon and Matilda enter the Anglican Church of Christ the King in Ray Street (which is incidentally the same street in which the writer Can Themba lived at Number 111). Above the altar is a conspicuous statue of a black Jesus. Philemon and Matilda are seated at a pew with the suit over the seat between them. Matilda's church friend arrives late with her husband and asks Matilda if they can sit beside her. Matilda looks to Philemon for permission but he glares at her. Matilda tells her church friend that someone else is seated there so her church friend tells her not to worry, that they will find seats elsewhere. After the service, Matilda's best friend Sane asks Matilda whether she will join her at choir practice from which she has been absent for a while. Matilda again looks to Philemon for permission and he says that he does not see why she should not go. Sane's husband Vuzi asks Philemon whether the suit that is slung over Matilda's shoulder is a new suit and compliments him by saying it looks stylish. Philemon scowls at Matilda as they leave the church. Back home, Philemon reads in the sitting room. When Matilda attempts to sit beside him, he tells her to go put the fellow to rest, referring to the suit which she is carrying. Later, Philemon finds Matilda lying on the bed sobbing as she caresses the suit. He tosses some money at her and tells her to prepare a dinner for her friends because she should not mope around all day. But he reminds her to take the suit with her, which he sarcastically refers to as their visitor. Matilda sings "

Amazing Grace "Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779 with words written in 1772 by English Anglican clergyman and poet John Newton (1725–1807). It is an immensely popular hymn, particularly in the United States, where it is used for both ...

" with a choir of wives at the cultural club of the Anglican Mission. The suit hangs conspicuously on a hat stand beside them. The song continues over a montage of shots. Matilda goes to buy provisions for her dinner party. On her way home, carrying the suit, she walks past a political rally where the speaker calls the crowd to resist the forced removals by insisting that they will not move. The speaker shouts the popular Zulu and

Xhosa Xhosa may refer to: * Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa * Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people See als ...

rallying cry: Amandla! (The power!) and the crowd replies with the traditional: “ Nghawethu!" (Is ours!). As a turkey cooks in the oven, Matilda dances with the suit to

's "Zoo Lake Jive". Knocks sound from the front door. Philemon yells from the sitting room that Matilda must get the door but she does not hear him above the music. Philemon continues to yell, but Matilda still does not hear him. Finally, Philemon storms into the room and Matilda bumps into him with a fright as the music stops suddenly. Matilda rushes to the front door and opens to see Sane, Vuzi and two other friends. Matilda serves her friends turkey at the dinner table. Philemon demands that she fetches their guest of honour. Matilda begs him to let it go just this once but he raises his voice. Deeply humiliated, Matilda serves the suit a meal in front of her friends. Eventually, Vuzi asks what is going on. Philemon tells Vuzi to ask Matilda, as she "knows the fellow best". Matilda brushes it off by saying that it is just a silly game that she and her husband play at meal-times. The guests chuckle, but as Matilda continues to serve the suit a meal, the dinner continues with the proverbial awkward silence as Matilda's friends watch her with bewildered amusement. After the uncomfortable dinner, the friends decide to go to a local

to dance. Matilda is about to follow them out of the house when Philemon steps in front of her and commands her to put the suit to bed. Philemon leaves with the friends, leaving Matilda standing alone in the doorway. As she presses the suit to her breast, we see her from behind in the empty entrance-way. While Philemon dances with the friends at the smoky

to the tune of

's "Phatha Phatha", we return to the prologue in which a person dresses: a hand removes a suit from a cupboard, the same hand polishes shoes, brushes trousers, fastens cufflinks, buttons up a jacket. Finally, we realise that the person now fully dressed in the suit is in fact Matilda, though we do not see her face, and the tie is attached to the rafters of the bedroom. Back at the

, Philemon is seated, contemplating his punishment of Matilda, as the music and sounds fade to a muffle. Gradually,

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop si ...

's "

Strange Fruit "Strange Fruit" is a song written and composed by Abel Meeropol (under his pseudonym Lewis Allan) and recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The lyrics were drawn from a poem by Meeropol published in 1937. The song protests the lynching of Black ...

" fades in as Philemon scratches his brow and the song continues to play as Philemon staggers home in the early hours of the morning. "

" was popular in

at the time due to the gradual entrenchment of

laws. Matilda steps up onto a crate, then kicks it out from underneath her and she hangs herself. Philemon enters the bedroom and falls to his knees below Matilda's hanging feet as he shouts her name repeatedly. "

" continues to play over the end credits of the film.

Cast

as Philemon *Phuthi Nakene as Matilda *

as Mr. Maphikela

Production

“The Suit" was filmed on location in

. The film was shot in some of the few buildings that survived the apartheid regime's forced removals of non-whites from the area to make way for white resettlement. Philemon and Matilda's house and the shebeen scenes were shot at the St. Joseph's Diocesan Centre. The church scenes were filmed at the Anglican Church of Christ the King in Ray Street. The writer

actually lived in a bachelor's flat in Ray Street, at Number 111, near the church. The exterior street scenes were shot at the Eeufeesoord Retirement Village. The bus scenes were shot on a period

double-decker bus A double-decker bus or double-deck bus is a bus that has two storeys or decks. They are used for mass transport in the United Kingdom, the United States, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and also in cities such as Sydney; the best-known example is the ...

that actually drove the

route in the 1950s, supplied by the James Hall Museum of Transport. Costumes were designed by award-winning South African

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costume ...

Pierre Vienings who was also the costume designer on the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-winning film "

Tsotsi ''Tsotsi'' is a 2005 crime drama film written and directed by Gavin Hood and produced by Peter Fudakowski. It is an adaptation of the novel ''Tsotsi'' by Athol Fugard and is a South African/UK co-production. Set in the Alexandra slum in Johann ...

". Several costumes, including the eponymous suit, are original 1950s pieces.

Release

“The Suit” held its official premiere at the Old Fort of Zanzibar as part of the 19th

Zanzibar International Film Festival The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa. ZIFF is a non-governmental organization esta ...

on Tuesday, 12 July 2016. Though it was not part of the official selection due to the film being completed after the deadline, the film was given a Special Mention by the jury. "The Suit" won the Best Short Film Award at the 11th

South African Film and Television Awards South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

(or SAFTAs, South Africa's

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

) on 18 March 2017 in Sun City. "The Suit" was selected in competition at three

-qualifying film festivals: the BronzeLens Film Festival of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

where it won the Best International Short as well as the Best of the Festival Awards on Saturday 26 August 2017, the Urbanworld Film Festival in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and the

Pan-African Film Festival Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is a non-profit corporation in Los Angeles, California, that states its goal is to promote "cultural understanding among peoples of African descent" through exhibiting art and film. It hosts a film festival and an a ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

where it received a Special Mention. It won the Best Short Film competition of the Scotland African Film Festival (AiM) in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, as well as the

Audience Award An audience award is typically an award at a film festival (or some other type of cultural festival or similar competition) which is selected by the audience attending the festival, rather than by the festival jury or a group of critics. Examples ...

of the

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

leg of the

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

-based Shnit International Short Film Festival on 9 October 2016. The film opened the 9th Île Courts – International Short Film Festival of

Mauritius Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...

on 10 October 2016. The film was also selected by the

Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma The Académie des Arts et Techniques du Cinéma ( en, Academy of Cinema Arts and Techniques) is an organization that gives out the César Award. It was created in 1975, on the initiative of Georges Cravenne. Board of directors The board is made ...

(France's national academy of cinema which gives France's highest honour for film, the

César Award Cesar, César or Cèsar may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''César'' (film), a 1936 film directed by Marcel Pagnol * ''César'' (play), a play by Marcel Pagnolt * César Award, a French film award Places * Cesar, Portugal * C ...

) for its prestigious "Les Nuits en Or" (Golden Nights) event which saw the film screened in nine European capitals (Paris, Rome,

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, Madrid,

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Lisbon,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Brussels and

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

), 24 cities and towns across France and a gala evening hosted by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in Paris and attended by

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

's leading actors and film-makers. The film was also shown at the

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a research library of the New York Public Library (NYPL) and an archive repository for information on people of African descent worldwide. Located at 515 Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue) b ...

's "Best Of" film series and the New Voices in Black Cinema Film Festival both in New York City, the

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Black Film Festival, the

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

-South African Film Festival, the

Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austria, Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwid ...

Amaphiko Film Festival (in

Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...

), and the

Durban International Film Festival The Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Founded in 1979 by Teddy Sarkin and Ros Sarkin, it is the oldest and largest film festival in Africa an ...

. The film screened in nineteen different cities in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

as part of the Afrika Film Festival –

Leuven Leuven (, ) or Louvain (, , ; german: link=no, Löwen ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipality itself comprises the historic ...

(Leuven African Film Festival), the iAfrica Film Festival in

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...

and

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

and the Africa on Screen Film Festival in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

as well. "The Suit" also screened at the South African

National Arts Festival The National Arts Festival (NAF) is an annual festival of performing arts in Grahamstown, South Africa. It is the largest arts festival on the African continent and one of the largest performing arts festivals in the world by visitor numbers. Th ...

Grahamstown Makhanda, also known as Grahamstown, is a town of about 140,000 people in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated about northeast of Port Elizabeth and southwest of East London, Eastern Cape, East London. Makhanda is the lar ...

, an important event on the South African cultural calendar, and the biggest annual celebration of the arts on the African continent. The film was shown to audiences in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, Washington D.C. and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

as part of the Baltimore International Black Film Festival, The film screened at the Jozi Film Festival in

, the

BRICS BRICS is an acronym for five leading emerging economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The first four were initially grouped as "BRIC" (or "the BRICs") in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill, who coined the ter ...

Film Festival at the

Conference in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

and the Cape Town International Film Festival all in September 2017. In November 2017, "The Suit" screened at the oldest film festival in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, the

Carthage Film Festival The Carthage Film Festival (CFF) is an annual film festival that takes place in Tunis and founded in 1966. It is also called by its abbreviation JCC, from its French name, , or by its Arabic title, (''Cinema Days of Carthage''). Initially bienn ...

, in

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. In May 2018, "The Suit" screened at the

Film Society of Lincoln Center Film at Lincoln Center, previously known as the Film Society of Lincoln Center until 2019,Aridi, Sara (April 28, 2019).. ''The New York Times''. nytimes.com. Retrieved April 29, 2019. is a film society based in New York City, United States. Fo ...

's New York African Film Festival in

References

*http://www.slickstermagazine.com/zanzibar-international-film-festival-pt-2/ *http://www.southafrica.info/news/arts/he-Suit-made-into-short-film-180516.htm#.V8Spyf3r3IU *http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/lifestyle/entertainment/2016/02/07/Life-imitates-art-for-Kani-in-film-version-of-The-Suit *http://www.screenafrica.com/page/news/film/1657736-An-SA-classic-comes-to-the-screen *http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/lifestyle/2016/06/12/Young-South-Africans-rise-up *http://www.durbanfilmfest.co.za/index.php/film/item/2925-the-suit *http://www.metrotell.co.za/news/south-african-classic-the-suit-made-into-a-short-film *https://variety.com/2016/film/news/urbanworld-2016-queen-of-katwe-1201843969/

External links