- 34 South is a captivating road movie about youth, identity, and life in South Africa. Frank September and his roommates set out on the road from Cape Town to Johannesburg, and end up getting taken for a very different ride from the one they had anticipated.—Dingi Ntuli
- A group of twenty-something friends from Cape Town takes a road trip to Johannesburg. Singer and songwriter, played by Marguerita Freeks, is the inspiration for the trip, as her work is appreciated in the City of Gold. Lorraine is introduced to the friends at a party by the coder and hacker of the group, Wurm. Lorraine joins the gang after Tony insists that she goes along. Lorraine seems more drawn to Frank, though.
Frank, the mechanic, borrows a VW Kombi from his mostly-absent German father, with his goal being to ferry Smiley, his drug addicted and troubled brother, as far away from the gangster he owes money to. Tony, the supercilious and sexist ballroom dancer, thinks Johannesburg is home to a ballroom partner who can guarantee his dancing success, while Heathcliff, born to a Christian family, has converted to Islam and is excited to meet Minister Farrakhan in Johannesburg.
En route their kombi breaks down and they spend a few days in Elim, a village in the Western Cape province. In Elim they meet a community descended from enslaved peoples, who helps them each to understand something about who they are and where they come from. The townspeople throw a party for the visitors before they leave. While everyone is enjoying the festivities, Smiley, high on drugs, hallucinates and hangs himself. A local youth spots him and alerts everyone. The villagers cut him down and the shaman instructs Frank to feel his brother's heart. Enslaved ancestors appear and Smiley regains consciousness.
Once the kombi has been repaired and the friends are ready to leave, Smiley decides to stay in Elim. As the group drives off, Frank recites what happens to each of the friends.
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