Loss, love, guilt, and impossible choices. Sink isn’t afraid of the hard stuff… it leans in. And in doing so, it gives us one of the most powerful stories to come out of South Africa in years.
Johannesburg, South Africa (21 March 2016) – There are some films that don’t just tell a story… they stay with you, haunt you a little and whisper truths you didn’t even know you needed to hear.
Sink is one of those films.
The film, written and directed by Brett Michael Innes, is a heartbreakingly beautiful South African story. At its centre is Rachel, a Mozambican domestic worker living in Johannesburg, who is faced with an impossible decision after an unthinkable tragedy. Her child dies. And Rachel, played with such grace and gut-wrenching power by Shoki Mokgapa, must choose whether to return to the poverty of her homeland or stay working for the South African couple (Anel Alexander and Jacques Bessenger) who are now expecting their first child.
Yeah. It’s heavy. But also delicate. Quiet. Devastating. Necessary.
Sink is an emotional excavation. It dives deep into themes of grief, guilt, and social injustice, unafraid to hold the viewer in those uncomfortable places. But it does so with such tenderness. Subtle, almost ghost-like palettes of blues, greys, and whites set the mood, not loud or brash, but quietly crushing.
That quietness, though? That’s where the power is. It doesn’t shout. It sits with you. And it lingers.
The performances are next-level. Shoki Mokgapa is transcendent. You don’t just watch her. You feel her. And alongside her, Anel Alexander and Jacques Bessenger give layered, real, raw portrayals that hold a mirror up to what many South Africans will recognise… even if they don’t want to.
This film doesn’t pander. It doesn’t sugar-coat. But it does offer something rare: empathy. Real, uncomfortable, necessary empathy.
If you haven’t watched it yet… you really should. And if you have? Maybe it’s time to revisit it. Just don’t forget the tissues.
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*27 September 2018 update: The South African film and television industry suffered a great loss with the passing of Shoki Mokgapa. After a long and private battle with clinical depression, Shoki took her own life on Tuesday, 25 September 2018, at the age of 34.
She was a brave and deeply talented woman who had been actively seeking help, but the illness proved stronger in the end.
Shoki captured the hearts of audiences as “Rachel” in Sink, a role that earned her a SAFTA award in 2017 for Best Actress in a Feature Film. She also became the first non-Afrikaans-speaking actress to win a Silwerskermfees Award for Best Actress, a powerful recognition of her extraordinary talent.
At the time of her passing, she had just completed work on a new short film and had continued to build a career filled with meaning, strength and artistry.
Her family and friends have expressed deep gratitude for the support and love shown to them during this time. A memorial was scheduled for Tuesday, 2 October 2018 at the Market Theatre.
If you or someone you love is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, please speak to someone. You are not alone.
Contact the 24-hour Suicide Crisis Helpline at 0800 12 13 14.
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