A wealthy family gets into some hairy situations in this hilarious new comedy about a particularly South African tradition
Sassy, sophisticated and sexy the new comedy ‘Blessers’, directed by Rea Rangaka and executive produced by entertainment entrepreneur Tbo Touch, features a star-studded female cast that includes Sonia Mbele, Six Nyamane and Connie Chiume who, in different ways, find themselves caught in the world of blessers.
“The film takes a light-hearted look at blesser culture and what happens when a whole family gets caught up in it,” says Rangaka. “As a sex comedy, it’s naughty, heartfelt, raunchy and a bit irreverent. It’s a slice of life type of film about the consequences of behaving badly. We had an enormous amount of fun making the movie and working with some of the country’s most celebrated female talent.”
One of South Africa's most popular celebrities, the stunning Sonia Mbele has been in the entertainment industry for more than two decades and has solidified herself as a household name with legions of fans. She is best known for her starring role as Ntombi Khumalo on the SABC1 soapie ‘Generations’. At the peak of her role on the show, she was possibly the most famous star in the country. She featured in ‘Soul City’ and ‘Muvhango’ and in films such as ‘Mr. Bones’ and ‘God Is African’. In addition to acting, she is also a successful businesswoman, writer and producer.
In the film, she stars as the gorgeous Michelle Mofokeng. Married to Jacob (Kenneth Nkosi), Michelle is a strong woman who wants everything done her way. And her way is seldom Jacob’s way. She lets him know exactly how she feels and most of the time, she feels angry and annoyed. Jacob has given up on ever making her happy and she is slowly sharing the same sentiment. When she finally achieves peak frustration, she finds herself open to new and unconventional ways of getting satisfaction, thanks to her close friend Juliet.
Classically trained Six Nyamale is determined, passionate and hardworking. She stars as Michelle and Jacob’s narcissistic, spoilt daughter Natasha. A typical Mzansi slay queen, Natasha is daddy's little girl. If it's not imported, don't get it for her. Like her mother, she’s always ready for a good time. She finds herself drawn to Talent (Khathu Ramabulana), a young man who’s down on his luck and finds a creative way to pay rent – by sleeping with older women like Michelle for money. When Natasha gets cut off financially from her parents, she too becomes attracted to easy cash, finding ways to get the money without letting the men taste the honey. Imagine the horror when they all get caught with their pants down.
As the story unfolds, we realise that each member of the Mofokeng family has a skeleton in their closet that is ready to bite them. They’re about to learn the biggest lesson of their lives in the worst way possible.
In the role of the long-suffering and frankly fed up maid Ma Lerato is Connie Chiume. Best known for her starring role as Mamokete Khuse, an upstanding and moral woman who is everyone's mother, in the e.tv soapie Rhythm City, she is a multi-award-winning South African favourite who has starred in many sitcoms and television dramas, including ‘Zone 14’, ‘Soul City’, ‘Mazinyo Dot Q’, ‘90 Plein Street’, ‘Home Affairs’, ‘Khululeka’, ‘Yizo Yizo 3’, and ‘Generations’, among others. On the stage she has starred in ‘You Strike the Woman, You Strike the Rock’, ‘Ipi Ntombi’, ‘Porgy & Bess’, and ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. She has also appeared in feature films including ‘The Air Up There’ (1994), ‘Chikin Biznis’ (1998), ‘I Dreamed of Africa’ (2000) and ‘Country of My Skull’ (2004). Most recently, she appeared in the hugely successful ‘Black Panther’ (2018), in the role of an elder.
Sure enough, during a Mofokeng family dinner, the highly annoyed Ma Lerato, who has a fondness for ‘champopo’ and Ciroc, and just wants the land back, reveals some very interesting secrets. She’s been lying low and building a file on the family that is growing bigger and worse by the day. Frustrated to the brim from her countless pleas for a raise, she reveals all sorts of unpleasant surprises.
‘Blessers’ opens in cinemas on 25 October.