A Street Stories Film
Effervescent, beautiful, confident, brave, eloquent and ambitious, Thembi epitomises the youth of South Africa. Tragically, in more ways than one, Thembi came to fame through her audio diary for the US’ National Public Radio. It documented her daily life in Khayelitsha and the physical, social and emotional struggle of living with HIV.
Her humour, forthright nature and inner strength enchanted her 50 million strong audience, forcing people far and wide, humble and famous, to listen to her sound logic as the voice of a generation that South Africa’s politicians had forsaken.
Despite her boundless energy and herculean courage, this gentle and incisive documentary shows that Thembi is all too human. Her desire to live, love and leave behind a legacy didn’t make her any less susceptible to insecurity, social pressure, exhaustion and the vagaries of being a celebrity.