U-Carmen eKhayelitsha is a 2005 South African operatic film directed and produced by Mark Dornford-May. The movie is a modern remake of Bizet's 1875 opera Carmen. It was shot entirely in Xhosa, and combines both music from the original opera with traditional African music conducted and directed by the British conductor, Charles Hazlewood. It takes place in the Cape Town township of Khayelitsha. U-Carmen was translated into Xhosa by Andiswa Kedama and Pauline Malefane, who also play Amanda and Carmen in the movie, respectively.
The cast rehearsed for four weeks before they began shooting the film. The film's musical numbers were recorded live on the set without any additional dubbing. The film was Dornford-May's directorial debut. Also, none of the cast members had ever acted on film before.
The film won critical acclaim when it received the Golden Bear at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival.
The film won critical acclaim when it received the Golden Bear at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival.
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