DV8 FILMS - Izulu Lami

Title: Shirley Adams

Director: Oliver Hermanus

In this deeply affecting portrait of ordinary courage in present-day South Africa, a single
motherShirley Adamsstruggles to care for her paraplegic teenage son, Donovan, in a
depressed district on the outskirts of Cape Town. Wearied but resolute, she desperately
clings to him as he withdraws from the world following a suicide attempt, and is hopeful
when his spirits are momentarily lifted by the appearance of Tamsin, a pretty but over-
eager social worker. But when the relationship between Donovan and Tamsin sours, his
fragile emotional health declines, and Shirley's faith and perseverance are put to the
ultimate test. First-time director Oliver Hermanus's observant camera holds close to its
subjects, capturing the claustrophobia, intimacy and hushed anguish surrounding the
tender daily routines of a mother and her child.