The propaganda films of apartheid-era South Africa

In the 1970s and 80s, the apartheid government funded a little-known film scheme aimed at black South Africans.

In 1973, a ground-breaking film, Joe Bullet, was screened - for the very first time - at the Eyethu Cinema in Soweto. It was the first South African-produced film with a black action hero and an all-black cast.

Benjamin Cowley, the CEO of Gravel Road Productions, described the film as "unique" because "at the height of apartheid, no one was producing movies with all-black cast members for black audiences".

According to Tonie van der Merwe, the writer and producer of Joe Bullet, the apartheid censors banned the film after just two screenings. In a letter, the censors listed the reasons for their decision which included: the main character carrying a gun, driving a sports car, living in a white neighbourhood. "Stupid, stupid reasons," said van der Merwe.