I Am All Girls

Last updated

I Am All Girls
I Am All Girls film poster.png
Official release poster
Directed byDonovan Marsh
Written by
  • Emile Leuvennink
  • Marcell Greeff
  • Jarrod de Jong
  • Wayne Fitzjohn
  • Donovan Marsh
Produced by
  • Jozua Malherbe
  • Lucia Meyer-Marais
  • Wayne Fitzjohn
  • Simon Swart
  • Jarrod de Jong
Starring
CinematographyTrevor Calverley
Edited byLucian Barnard
Music byBrendan Jury
Production
company
Nthibah Pictures
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • 14 May 2021 (2021-05-14) [1]
Running time
107 minutes
CountrySouth Africa
LanguageEnglish

I Am All Girls is a 2021 South African mystery thriller film [2] directed by Donovan Marsh and written by Emile Leuvennink and Marcell Greeff, with additional writing credits by Jarrod de Jong, Wayne Fitzjohn and Donovan Marsh. It is based on true events but also contains fictionalised elements. [3] Starring Erica Wessels, Hlubi Mboya and Masasa Mbangeni, the film follows detective Jodie Snyman and her colleague Ntombizonke Bapai as they race to track down members of an apartheid-era sex-trafficking syndicate who are being murdered one by one by an unknown serial killer. [4] [5]

Contents

Upon its release on 14 May 2021, I Am All Girls was watched by Netflix subscribers all over the world, at one point ranking among the world's Top 10 films on Netflix. [6]

Plot

Inspired by true events, the narrative revolves around Gert de Jager, a South African offender who was imprisoned in 1994. He was charged with the abduction of six girls, none of which were ever found. In a recorded tape, Gert de Jager confessed to kidnapping these girls under the instructions of a National Party Cabinet Minister. He smuggled the girls to Middle Eastern countries like Iran in exchange for oil. However, this tape was never released by the Apartheid Government and Gert de Jager was killed soon after his confession.

In present-day Johannesburg, South Africa, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) officer, Jodie Snyman is rigorously carrying out human trafficking raids but with little to no results. The operation is tight on resources and is on the verge of shutting down when suddenly they find a murdered man with initials carved on his body.

Further investigation reveals that the body is Cabinet Minister Oupa who was also on the National Register for sex offenders. Jodie finds some hidden tapes in Oupa’s garage and concludes that he was a pedophile who assaulted his own granddaughter. The initials on his dead body, T.S.C, are the initials of Tarrynlee Shaw Carter, one of the six missing girls abducted by Gert de Jager. Oupa is hinted to be the same cabinet minister against whom Gert de Jager witnessed.

The case gets more complicated when more bodies with similar initials start surfacing. Jodie assumes the killer to be a vigilante, taking revenge for the six missing girls. However, with the help of the hooded killer, Jodie uncovers a syndicate of sex trafficking cartels thus cleaning the society by unlawful means.

Jodie begins to suspect her colleague, Ntombizonke Bapai, of being the killer after intel reveals the killer is likely to be working from within the police. Reluctant to accuse Bapai due to her romantic feelings for her, Jodie instead investigates her flat and finds Gert de Jager’s recorded tape, left for her by Bapai.

Through Gert’s tape, Jodie finds out about a farm in Brakpan from where the Syndicate was run by FJ Nolte, the Cabinet Minister about whom Gert was actually talking about. Out of the six girls initially kidnapped by Gert, FJ Nolte only smuggled five. He kept Ntombizonke when she was a child and repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

Jodie learns that Brakpan has an airstrip from where girls are sold directly to potential buyers without conflicting the secured routes. She drives to Brakpan and finds the dead, branded bodies of the two Khan brothers, shipping transporters who were smuggling girls in large numbers and were earlier captured by Jodie, but released.

In Brakpan, Jodie spots an incoming plane and realises FJ Nolte is conducting another “purchase” of six young girls to an Iranian Sheikh, who arrives there on his charter plane. Jodie tries to intercept but fails and in the struggle, both Ntombizonke and Jodie’s coworker, Samuel, are killed.

Jodie continues the legacy of Ntombizonke and wears the hood of a vigilante herself. She kills FJ Nolte in his house and marks his chest with Ntombizonke’s initials (a homage to the original revenge rituals).

Suspended from the force, Jodie is a suspected criminal but after the death of FJ Nolte, her commanding officer denies any connection. Jodie boards a plane to Iran to finish off the remaining culprit, the Iranian Sheikh.

Cast

Pre-production

Wayne Fitzjohn, the founder of Nthibah Pictures, first started working on this project about sex-trafficking syndicates because he wanted to shine light on the difficulties South African police services face in fighting against the crime of human trafficking. He also wanted to show that there are "those who are dedicated to helping the victims." [6]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
2022 SAFTA Best actress in a feature filmErica WesselsNominated [7]
Best actress in a feature film Hlubi Mboya-Arnold Won [8]
Best supporting actress in a feature film Nomvelo Makhanya Won [8]
Best supporting actor in a feature filmJP du PlessisNominated [7]
Best feature filmI Am All GirlsWon [8]
Best achievement in directing – feature filmI Am All Girls – Donovan MarshNominated [7]
Best achievement in sound design – feature filmI Am All Girls – Simon RatcliffeNominated [7]
Best achievement in editing – feature filmI Am All Girls – Lucian BarnardNominated [7]
Best achievement in production design – feature filmI Am All Girls – Waldemar CoetseeNominated [7]
Best achievement in original music/score – feature filmI Am All Girls – Brendan JuryNominated [7]
Best achievement in cinematography – feature filmI Am All Girls – Trevor CalverleyNominated [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex trafficking</span> Trade of sexual slaves

Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It has been called a form of modern slavery because of the way victims are forced into sexual acts non-consensually, in a form of sexual slavery. Perpetrators of the crime are called sex traffickers or pimps—people who manipulate victims to engage in various forms of commercial sex with paying customers. Sex traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion as they recruit, transport, and provide their victims as prostitutes. Sometimes victims are brought into a situation of dependency on their trafficker(s), financially or emotionally. Every aspect of sex trafficking is considered a crime, from acquisition to transportation and exploitation of victims. This includes any sexual exploitation of adults or minors, including child sex tourism (CST) and domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Girl Is Mine</span> 1982 single by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney

"The Girl Is Mine" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson and English singer and musician Paul McCartney for Jackson's sixth solo album, Thriller. The track was written and co-produced by Jackson and produced by Quincy Jones. The song was recorded at Westlake Studios, Los Angeles, from April 14 to 16, 1982 and was released on October 18 of that same year as the album's first single. The year before, Jackson and McCartney had recorded "Say Say Say" and "The Man" for the latter's fifth solo album, Pipes of Peace (1983). Although "The Girl Is Mine" was released as a single, Jackson and McCartney never performed the song live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leslie Bibb</span> American actress

Leslie Louise Bibb is an American actress and model. Bibb first appeared on television in 1996 with minor roles in a few series, and on film in 1997 with a small role in Private Parts. Her first recurring TV role was in The Big Easy (1997). For her role as Brooke McQueen on the WB Network dramedy series Popular, she received a Teen Choice Award for Television Choice Actress. She has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Christine Everhart in Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), What If...? (2021), and several viral marketing campaigns in which the character hosts WHIH Newsfront. She appeared as Grace Sampson / Lady Liberty in the Netflix series Jupiter's Legacy (2021). Bibb starred in the 2012 television series GCB and in the 2024 television series Palm Royale.

<i>Thriller</i> (British TV series) British TV series (1973–1976)

Thriller is a British television series, originally broadcast in the UK from 1973 to 1976. It is an anthology series: each episode has a self-contained story and its own cast. As the title suggests, each story is a thriller of some variety, from tales of the supernatural to down-to-earth whodunits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodie Whittaker</span> English actress (born 1982)

Jodie Auckland Whittaker is an English actress. Her roles on television include the Thirteenth Doctor in Doctor Who (2017–2022) and Beth Latimer in Broadchurch (2013–2017).

Prostitution is illegal in Afghanistan, with punishments ranging from 5 to 15 years of imprisonment. The country is deeply religious and one of the most conservative countries in the world, where sex outside marriage is not only against the law but could lead to serious consequences, even capital punishment.

Prostitution is illegal in Iran, and incurs various punishments ranging from fines and jail terms to execution for repeat offenders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nahnatchka Khan</span> American television writer and producer

Nahnatchka Khan is an American television writer and producer. She created and executive produced the ABC comedy series Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (2012–2013) and Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020), and the NBC comedy series Young Rock (2021–2023). She also directed the streaming films Always Be My Maybe (2019) and Totally Killer (2023), and the upcoming Peacock series "Laid" (2024).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Macdonald</span> Australian actress (born 1991)

Danielle Louise Macdonald is an Australian actress, known for her lead roles in the drama film Patti Cake$ (2017), and Dumplin' (2018). She is also known for her roles in the post-apocalyptic thriller film Bird Box as Olympia, the film Skin (2018) as Julie, the Netflix series Unbelievable as Amber, and the BBC One/Stan/HBO Max thriller series The Tourist as Helen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodie Comer</span> English actress (born 1993)

Jodie Comer is an English actress. She began her career in an episode of The Royal Today in 2008. Comer gained recognition for appearing in the series My Mad Fat Diary (2013–2015) and Doctor Foster (2015–2017), and starred in the drama miniseries Thirteen (2016).

You is an American psychological thriller television series based on the books by Caroline Kepnes, developed by Greg Berlanti and Sera Gamble, and produced by Berlanti Productions, Alloy Entertainment, and A+E Studios in association with Warner Horizon Television, now Warner Bros. Television.

<i>I Am Mother</i> 2019 film by Grant Sputore

I Am Mother is a 2019 Australian Science fiction thriller film directed by Grant Sputore, from a screenplay by Michael Lloyd Green, based on a story by both. Starring Clara Rugaard, Luke Hawker, Rose Byrne, and Hilary Swank, the film follows Daughter, a girl in a post-apocalyptic bunker, being raised by Mother, a robot who is aiding the repopulation of Earth. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 25 January 2019. Netflix released it in several countries on 7 June 2019.

<i>Kate</i> (film) 2021 film by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan

Kate is a 2021 American action thriller film directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and written by Umair Aleem. The film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Martineau, Woody Harrelson, Tadanobu Asano, Michiel Huisman, Miyavi, and Jun Kunimura. The film follows Kate (Winstead), an assassin, whose mentor and handler (Harrelson) assigns her to kill a high-ranking yakuza boss. During Kate's final mission, she finds out that she has been poisoned and has at most a day to live, so she uses her last hours to get revenge and find out who set her up.

<i>Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes</i> American docuseries on Netflix

Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes is an American documentary that premiered on Netflix on January 24, 2019, the 30th anniversary of Bundy's execution. Created and directed by Joe Berlinger, the four episodes ranging from 51 to 74 minutes long were sourced from over 100 hours of interviews and archival footage of serial killer Ted Bundy, as well as interviews with his friends, surviving victims, and the law enforcement members who worked on his case.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aimee Lou Wood</span> English actress

Aimee Lou Wood is an English actress. After early stage roles in Mary Stuart (2016–2017) and People, Places and Things (2017), Wood made her screen debut on the Netflix series Sex Education (2019–2023), which won her a British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance from two nominations. She subsequently had roles in the films The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021) and Living (2022), and in the stage productions of Uncle Vanya (2020) and Cabaret (2023).

<i>Girl from Nowhere</i> 2018 Thai-language television series

Girl from Nowhere is a Thai mystery thriller anthology television series created by studio SOUR Bangkok and starring actress Chicha "Kitty" Amatayakul in the lead role.

<i>Mrs. Serial Killer</i> 2020 film by Shirish Kunder

Mrs. Serial Killer, also spelled as Mrs Serial Killer, is a 2020 Indian crime thriller film, written and directed by Shirish Kunder and produced by his wife Farah Khan. The film stars Jacqueline Fernandez, Manoj Bajpayee and Mohit Raina in the main lead roles while Aamir Khan's niece Zayn Marie Khan makes her acting debut in the film.

<i>Blood & Water</i> (South African TV series) South African television series

Blood & Water is a South African teen crime drama television series developed by Gambit Films for Netflix starring Ama Qamata, Khosi Ngema and Gail Mabalane. Set in Cape Town, the series follows a girl who transfers to an elite school when she suspects one of the students may be her sister, who was abducted as a baby.

<i>A Good Girls Guide to Murder</i> Young adult fiction series by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a young adult mystery crime debut novel by Holly Jackson. The novel is the first in a series of three novels and one novella: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2019); Good Girl, Bad Blood (2020); As Good As Dead (2021); and Kill Joy (2022). All books were published by Electric Monkey in the United Kingdom and by Delacorte Press in the United States.

<i>Code Name: Emperor</i> 2022 "`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000003-QINU`" film

Code Name: Emperor is a 2022 political thriller and spy film directed by Jorge Coira and written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría. The cast, led by Luis Tosar, also features Alexandra Masangkay, Georgina Amorós, Denis Gómez, Miguel Rellán and Arón Piper, among others.

References

  1. Khan, Iram Sharifah (13 May 2021). "I Am All Girls: Release Time and Date for South African Film on Netflix". HITC. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  2. Grater, Tom (16 April 2021). "'I Am All Girls': Watch First Trailer For Netflix's South African Thriller About Global Child Sex Trafficking". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  3. Shapiro, Tevya Turok (7 May 2021). "This weekend we're watching: Hunting apartheid's sex traffickers". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  4. "I Am All Girls review – a gritty revenge thriller on sex trafficking". Ready Steady Cut. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  5. "I Am All Girls – Netflix Review". Heaven of Horror. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
  6. 1 2 Singer, Toni Jaye; Jooste, Ruan (25 May 2021). "SA thriller 'I Am All Girls' makes list of world's Top 10 Netflix movies". Sunday Times. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Ferreira, Thinus (14 July 2022). "From The Wife to Tali's Baby Diary - All the 2022 Saftas nominations". News24. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 Parker, Bashiera (4 September 2022). "All the Safta 2022 winners". News24. Retrieved 17 October 2022.