FIVE FINGERS FOR MARSEILLES

OFFICIAL SELECTION TIFF 2017

"And for us who’d been there before they put us on top of the hill, out of sight, and they called it Railway, because most of us were working on the train lines. When Marseilles was happy, Railway was fine, and we were fine for a long time. But when the towns started to die – Paris, Roma, Barcelona – Marseilles began to worry, and when Marseilles started to die they took it out on those closest at hand...”

Twenty years ago, the young ‘Five Fingers’ fought for the rural town of Marseilles, against brutal police oppression. Now, after fleeing in disgrace, freedom-fighter-turned-‘outlaw’ Tau returns to Marseilles, seeking only a peaceful pastoral life. When he finds the town under new threat, he must reluctantly fight to free it. Will the Five Fingers ride again?

‘Five Fingers for Marseilles’ fuses western influences, from classic Ford-era through Spaghetti and revisionist eras, into a contemporary South African crime drama played in local tongue. The great westerns have always contained socio-political threads, and Five Fingers’ loose allegory on current SA politics is deep, dark, edge-of-the-seat, and starkly human. 

"Gorgeously captured by director of photography Shaun Harley Lee and stylishly helmed by Michael Matthews, the film honours its cinematic forebears while exploring new territory. Following years of consultation with the local community, Five Fingers represents a new style of film production for South Africa while emerging as one of the best westerns of the year and one of 2017's most compelling debut features."
JESSE WENTE - TIFF

AFRICAN MOVIE ACADEMY AWARDS:
10 NOMINATIONS, 5 WINS
BEST FILM, BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

SOUTH AFRICAN FILM AND TV AWARDS:
7 NOMINATIONS, 3 WINS

WRITERS’ GUILD OF SOUTH AFRICA MUSE AWARDS:
BEST SCREENPLAY

FIVE FINGERS FOR MARSEILLES IS PRODUCED BY BE PHAT MOTEL & GAME 7 FILMS in association with Above the Clouds, Stage 5 Films, the National Film and Video Foundation, The Department of Trade & Industry

Starring: Vuyo Dabula, Hamilton Dhlamini, Zethu Dlomo, Kenneth Nkosi, Mduduzi Mabaso, Aubrey Poolo, Lizwi Vilakazi, Warren Masemola, Dean Fourie, Anthony Oseyemi, Brendon Daniels and Jerry Mofokeng.

Introducing: Toka Mtabane, Vuyo Novokoza, Ntsika Tiyo, Sibusiso Bottoman, Abongile Sithole, Qhawe Soroshi. www.facebook.com/fivefingersformarseilles www.instagram.com/fivefingersformarseilles

Directed by Michael Matthews
Written by Sean Drummond
Produced by Asger Hussain, Yaron Schwartzman, Sean Drummond, Michael Matthews
Executive Producers: Jeff Hoffman, Paulo Areal, Dumi Gumbi, Josh Green
Co-Producer: Dylan Voogt