Kanarie

Christiaan Olwagen’s Kanarie is set during the 1980s in South Africa, when apartheid laws were still firmly entrenched and white nationalism not only oppressed the black majority, but also targeted individual displays of iconoclastic behavior that did not sync with the government’s vision of model behavior. Schalk Bezuidenhout stars as Johan, a rural young man with musical abilities who is drafted into the military. To his delight, he is selected to become part of the Defense Force Church Choir, also known as the Kanaries. Johan, whose musical tastes include Culture Club and Depeche Mode, becomes friends with opera-loving Ludolf (Germandt Geldenhuys) and Queen- and Kate Bush-worshiping Wolfgang (Hannes Otto). While the military seeks to use the choir to promote the government’s vision of church and state, Johan uses the choir to discover his own sexual identity. Kanarie is a story of personal discovery set against a backdrop of a repressive militaristic regime, with performances by Bezuidenhout, Geldenhuys, and Otto that are remarkable for their warmth, humor, and musical versatility. An LGBT coming-of-age story, a distinctive musical-comedy, and a very unusual commentary on the cruelties of the apartheid era, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)