Sabbatical

When a successful investment banker unexpectedly returns to her childhood home after an illicit work incident, her overbearing and doting mother is wary of her sudden arrival. A tragic and comical culture clash of a mother and daughter forced to get to know each other again.

After growing up under apartheid, Doris was determined to ensure her daughter, Lesego, had access to the opportunities of a newly ‘free’ South Africa. Lesego, eager to live up to her mother’s expectations and fully aware of the stakes, left the small town of Thorntree in Pretoria to build a new life in the bustling city of Johannesburg. But now because of a suspicious work incident she is back under her mother’s roof – which she pays for. Although Doris is secretly relieved to have her “perfect” daughter back after such a long absence, Lesego’s presence threatens to unravel their already contentious relationship. Both mother and daughter must navigate the complexities of reconnecting and bridging their cultural and generational divide.

Featuring a fantastic cast and a soundtrack infused with South African house music and Jazz, Sabbatical invites us into the kaleidoscope world of this mother and daughter, navigating a complex and layered relationship in contemporary South Africa. As Lesego desperately tries – and fails – to hold on to any semblance of her corporate life in Johannesburg, her hometown of Thorntree throws up unexpected, sometimes disastrous, but always hilarious situations. Semi-autobiographical, Karabo Lediga’s directorial feature debut delivers a rarely seen on screen,  unfeigned and honest exploration of success – not as an external achievement, but as the love of oneself and one’s community.

Aren’t we all just trying to figure out this life? 

– Lyse Nsengiyumva

Trailer

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