This South African 2003 TV movie from director David Hickson follows Musa, a young boy who leaves his village in KwaZulu-Natal after his parents die from a mysterious disease. Musa sets out on foot for Johannesburg in search of an uncle, carrying only a drum given to him by his father, but finding his uncle in the big city proves to be a serious challenge, and Musa winds up struggling to support himself by washing cars. In Johannesburg, Musa meets a young female pickpocket, and while he has no interest in following her criminal ways, he does quickly absorb the information she provides on the spread of AIDS, the disease that claimed his parents. Armed with this new knowledge, Musa declares that his goal is to become an AIDS education advocate. Beat the Drum clearly hopes to draw attention to the devastating effects of AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, and young Junior Singo is winning as the indefatigable Musa. Unfortunately, Musa's urban adventure often feels utterly contrived, another example of the “wise child” melodrama genre. Still, this well-intended film should be considered a strong optional purchase. (P. Hall)
This title is included in our list of films that teach about Africa as well as our article on teaching historical and current events using film