Elelwani (2012): A Third Cinema analysis of a Venda tale of a young woman’s journey of self-discovery

Elelwani directed by Wa-Luruli in 2012 is a Tshivenda film based on a novel by Titus Ntsieni Maumela. The film highlights the subjugation and oppression of women in Tshivenda culture by telling the story of a young woman who returns to her family’s rural home in Venda after completing her education, only to be informed by her parents that she is obligated to marry the King in return for the education she received, as well as to save her family from financial ruin. This article presents an analysis of Elelwani in terms of aspects of Third Cinema theory, with a view to showing how the film tells an African story and delivers its message of female empowerment.