![]() ![]() I think part of the engine of the film is how those two things are poles apart. “We certainly picked up on the polarity of the story very early. Ross explains the difficulty of telling the inspiring story of the team’s adventure against the ongoing plight of Zimbabwean refugees who are still struggling. On the one hand, their success has drastically improved the lives of their families and it’s wonderful to see, but it can also be awkward when they find themselves faced with others in the same situation they were once in. The contrast between the team’s impoverished past and more luxurious present creates a sensitive, complicated dynamic when it comes to the state of Zimbabwe. Team captain Joseph Tongai Dhafana speaks about how he was smuggled across the border in a railway container in sweltering heat, falling and fainting, and how he and his wife were robbed constantly in Johannesburg and yet it seems indicative of his character that we first see him break down on camera when he speaks of all the people who have helped him, not all the people who have hurt him. ![]() These sections are often played over footage of them driving, emphasising how far they have come to afford luxuries like a vehicle, but also symbolising their metaphorical journeys. The interviews about the team’s past are heartfelt and forthright – they speak openly about their experience of fleeing and the xenophobia they suffered upon arriving in South Africa. The film cultivates and retains a strong sense of their journey and brings you into it, allowing you to harvest its wonder with fresh eyes. Robinson, who has been writing about wine for decades, says that following their rapidly ascending careers rekindled the magic of wine tasting for her. Every step of the way, the team exudes an exuberance and appreciation for where they are. The team also revels in the celebratory comedy of their transition from destitution to the elite context of wine tasting. The subject of wine tasting lends itself to constant jokes about drinking and drunkenness intervening with their professionalism, like when Gwese (who came from the Pentecostal Christian church which prohibits alcohol) proudly points out that the first miracle was turning water into wine. In the film, we meet the team in high spirits, singing in camaraderie at a braai, white wine in hand. The confirmation for me was only when they actually landed and seeing the cameras arriving,” he says. But when I felt the energy from them I said, this could be happening. I just saw this as one of those calls and I thought it would die down. ![]() “At first, I wasn’t sure if it’s going to happen or not, because regularly we get those calls – Reuters for interviews or some opportunity with ABC. I think they were still pretty unsure what we were on about, but it worked out,” he explains.Įven then, team Zimbabwe sommelier Marlvin Gwese admits that he was sceptical of the Australian directors. Three weeks later we were here on the ground in Cape Town with a camera crew. #BLIND AMBITION FULL#“We were desperately trying to figure out what the story was in this – the individual stories were amazing, but was there going to be an arc to it? And, of course, they were training for the global competition, the first team Zimbabwe ever to compete, the first full team of colour to ever compete. ![]()
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