God’s Work shines harsh light on South Africa’s homeless crisis at Joburg film festival

God’s Work, a bold South African feature helmed by director Michael James, has been chosen for screening at the eighth edition of the Joburg Film Festival (JFF), set to run in Sandton.

The film unfolds inside a derelict inner-city building in Durban, where it delivers an unflinching portrayal of homelessness — not as a distant social issue, but as the harsh reality of economic marginalisation.

Praised as a “masterpiece of integrity” for its seamless fusion of documentary-style realism and emotionally charged fiction, the production inevitably echoes the devastating Usindiso building fire, which claimed 77 lives in August 2023.

At the time, The Citizen reported on alleged arsonist Sithembiso Mdlalose, who reportedly described the hijacked building in Johannesburg’s CBD as a “slaughterhouse” filled with bodies.

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The 31-year-old allegedly confessed to beating and strangling a fellow resident to death while under the influence of drugs, claiming he acted on instructions from a Tanzanian drug trafficker.

In God’s Work, substance dependency — alongside hunger, fragmented memory and systemic neglect — shapes both the internal struggles and external realities of five men forced to survive on society’s fringes.

By merging stark social commentary with surreal psychological undertones, the film creates a haunting narrative that defies simple classification, reflecting the deepening homelessness crisis confronting South Africa.

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