Beauty

The film unfolds in contemporary South Africa, addressing current issues of race, sexuality, and family. Events center on a daughter's wedding, a trip to Cape Town, and a hospital visit, all within a present-day timeframe.

The story is set primarily in Bloemfontein, a central South African city, with key scenes in Cape Town. Bloemfontein provides a backdrop of middle-class family life and local business, while Cape Town offers a cosmopolitan stage for meetings and encounters. The contrast between a provincial city and a coastal metropolis highlights social tensions at the heart of the drama.

⚖️ Power & Privilege

François’s wealth, status, and racial background grant him control and a sense of entitlement. The story shows how privilege can enable coercion, shield violence, and blur moral boundaries. It probes the morality of a man who has everything yet uses it to punish and manipulate others.

🧭 Secrets & Self-Acceptance

François hides a same-sex attraction behind a heteronormative facade, fueling internal conflict and psychological strain. The tension between outward respectability and private truth drives the character’s actions and the heartbreak around Christian. The film explores the cost of denying one’s identity.

💥 Violence & Consequences

The assault acts as a catalyst that exposes family fragility and the repercussions of unchecked aggression. It reverberates through relationships and communities, generating guilt, fear, and questions of justice. The narrative does not shy away from the brutality of power imbalances and their aftermath.