This is Sibahkle

Khayalitscha, South Africa

Her name translates as beautiful.  Very appropriately named.

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This is Nkosinarte

Nyanga, South Africa

His name translates and "A Blessing of the Kings"

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This is Vuyelwa.....

Nyanga, South Africa

Her name translates as "Happy"

This was shot while filming a new documentary about a south african ballet in the townships.  More to come...

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Wall Art

Khayalitscha, South Africa

This is from the inside of the home of one of the students I am filming for the HBO documentary about the ballet school in Cape Town.

Apparently the translation here is:

If you are jealous of me, I don't worry about it, because you will be taken care of (by God, or demons, or witch doctors, or something...)

This woman is very unhappy. and it's 6:15.

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Im Back In Guguletu...

Guguletu, South Africa

...And loving it.  As long as I feel safe, there is no place in Cape Town I'd rather be.  And I feel safe when Im surrounded by good people who live there, and know what they are doing.  

But if I were alone shooting this picture on a playground in the township - I probably wouldn't last long.  That camera would be gone.  And if Im lucky, that's all that would happen.   Its so hard to tap into that sense of caution though, when everyone around you is so friendly and helpful.  It's deceptive.  (And I know this from experience)  It can all turn very bad very quickly.  

But today, its good.  And it only makes me sad to know that the reality is that I am so shut out of this world.  But that, Im afraid, is what this country is all about.  People keep to their kind and have their own ways on making outsiders feel very unwelcome.  The irony is that,  one on one, you can always find people that contradict that blanket statement, but when you look around, its fences, barbed wire and color lines that run very very deep.  

Btw - those waiting to hear the apollo story will have to move on... Im afraid its not post-able after all.  But it includes Mariah Carey and Prince and I love telling the story in person, so ask me!!

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