"Gog' Helen" is actually a 2012 film, not 2024. The film premiered at the Durban International Film Festival in 2012/2013. It appears there may be a re-release or streaming availability in 2024 on AfrolandTV, but the film itself is from 2012.
Nigerian-South African director Adze Ugah delivers a rollicking township action-comedy that proves you don't need a Hollywood budget to create genuine heart and thrills. Gog' Helen is a delightful caper that blends social commentary with laugh-out-loud moments, anchored by a powerhouse performance from veteran actress Lillian Dube.
The premise is brilliantly simple: Gog' Helen (Dube), an elderly woman living in a shantytown, has spent her life hiding her savings inside her worn-out mattress. When her well-meaning granddaughter Agnes (Kagiso Rakosa) surprises her with a new bed and unwittingly discards the old one, the duo embarks on a frantic race against time to recover the cash. Complicating matters? The mattress is already en route to a recycling facility, and dangerous criminals—Agnes's employers in a prostitution ring—are closing in, furious that their "cash cow" has gone missing .
Lillian Dube is magnificent. She brings both gravitas and comic timing to the role of a grandmother who refuses to be invisible. Her chemistry with Rakosa creates a believable, touching inter generational bond that grounds the film's wilder escapades. The supporting cast—including Jet Novuka, Andile Mxakaza, and the late Patrick Shai—adds colourful texture to the criminal underworld and the chaotic journey.
Ugah, who cut his teeth on South African television dramas like Isibaya and Zone 14, demonstrates sharp instincts for pacing. The film moves briskly from the intimate confines of a shack to the industrial sprawl of dump sites, never losing sight of its emotional core. The action sequences are inventive rather than explosive, relying on the desperation of ordinary people rather than CGI spectacle.
Beneath the mattress-hunt madness lies a poignant exploration of economic vulnerability in post-apartheid South Africa. Gog' Helen's distrust of banks isn't eccentricity—it's survival logic learned through hard experience. The film subtly critiques how informal settlements exist both within and apart from the formal economy, where a grandmother's life work can literally be mistaken for trash.
Some of the criminal subplot elements feel slightly underdeveloped, and certain comedic beats rely on broad physical humour that may not land for all viewers. The film's modest budget occasionally shows in production values, though this rarely detracts from the storytelling.
Gog' Helen is a testament to the vitality of South African cinema—finding universal humour in specific circumstances and celebrating the resilience of women often pushed to society's margins. With its 2024 availability on AfrolandTV, this hidden gem deserves rediscovery by audiences hungry for authentic African storytelling that entertains while it resonates.
Watch it for: Lillian Dube's commanding lead performance, the unique township setting, and a reminder that the best treasures are often hiding in plain sight—even in a discarded mattress.
