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What happens when the dream your mother sacrificed everything for becomes your personal nightmare? Johannesburg-based filmmaker Karabo Lediga joins us to explore this haunting question through her debut feature film "Sabbatical" – a raw, honest portrayal of mother-daughter relationships in post-apartheid South Africa.

A 30-something year old woman called Lesego, is the compelling main character of this story. She is forced to return to her childhood home in the township in Pretoria after a professional downfall. While living in her mother's house, she has to reckon with having become alien to her own mother, how her Model C school experience has facilitated the fragility of that relationship, and the psychological cost of having being thrown in all-white spaces in order to achieve the success or dreams that parents desperately want for their children. 

Our conversation ventures beyond the film into Karabo's amazing film and television career. Her credits include  Netflix's "Queen Sono" and the touching short film "What Did You Dream?" that was inspired by her own grandmother's story.  Karabo shares invaluable insights about sustaining a creative career in South Africa's evolving film landscape. Bonus: she shares the different funding mechanisms available to South African filmmakers—a system that is relatively unique to the country—and her commitment to authentic storytelling despite industry pressures.

Sabbatical is a much needed voice from South Africa's so-called born free generation. It's entertaining, it offers deep cultural insights and serves as an amazing showcase of Karabo's unique voice.  Whether you're a film enthusiast, a creative professional, or someone navigating complex family dynamics, Karabo's perspectives will resonate long after the credits roll.

LINKS AND MENTIONS 

Model C - Formerly whites-only public schools that were desegregated after Apartheid. 

Matwetwe - seminal film of the film production house Diprente, who collaborated with Karabo on Sabbatical. 

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