When you tell a story that ends neatly, it doesn’t give the audience any space to think through the hanging possibilites. After decades of Rainbow Nation filmmaking, an endless parade of people hugging, the end result feels like we're staring glazed and emotionally bunkrupt into endless Suburban Bliss reruns. Why do South African movies do terribly at the box office? Which SA films do well at the box office? Can the trajectory of cinema be subverted?

Film-maker and writer Roger Young talks about being an independent filmmaker, and how he tells stories to arm himself against despair. Roger Young may have a reputation as a no-compromise writer who deals with music, film and youth culture on the reg, but what is not so well known about him is that this approach comes from having been immersed in filmmaking and youth culture for his whole life. His career started in the early 90s and has led him through directing music videos for the Springbok Nude Girls, Moonchild and Dookoom, TVCs for brands such as Hyundai and Adidas, fashion and editorial stills for Elle, Jalouse, Marie Claire, Benetton’s Colours magazine and the legendary SL magazine, he’s also co-created TV series such as Scandal, and the late 90s art show experiment Flux.

His most recent short film 'Boat Girls' is a collaborative effort which deals with a host of issues including white privilege and sexual violence towards women.