A documentary bookended by recitation from a fictional storyteller whose comments lend the film a fairy-tale feel, The Swenkas is both modestly charming and a little weird. The title characters are a group of Zulu men working hard jobs in Johannesburg who spend their Saturday nights (not to mention a good part of their paychecks) donning expensive clothes—well-tailored suits, eye-catching ties and socks, elegant shoes—and competing against one another for recognition as the snappiest dresser of the evening in contests that have them strutting like peacocks before judges to show off their duds. The “swenkas,” named after their swank attire, explain that the competition is as much high-minded ritual as pleasant avocation, embodying ideals of purity and nobility that perhaps (though this isn't explicitly argued) go back to old tribal ceremonies. And the sense of tradition is emphasized in the film's only real plotline—the effort of one swenka to initiate a young man, whose recently deceased father had been the group's leader, into the practice. Danish writer-director Jeppe Rønde tries hard to invest the picture with a sense of magic, and some of his choices—like backing the men's fashion shows with lush music by the likes of Henry Mancini, Tommy Dorsey, and Nat “King” Cole—are amusingly effective. But as a whole The Swenkas remains more quirkily endearing than irresistible. Optional. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
The Swenkas
(2005) 72 min. In English & Zulu w/English subtitles. DVD: $150: public libraries; $250: colleges & universities. Seventh Art Releasing. PPR. Color cover. Volume 21, Issue 5
The Swenkas
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