The winner of Best Documentary Short Category, is “Music by Prudence,” directed by Roger Ross Williams, and starring Prudence Mabhena.
The 33 minute documentary, focuses around a gifted young woman Prudence, who suffers from arthrogryphosis, a rare disorder which severely deforms the joints of the body.
Prudence who has had to face many odds in her young life, although this has not stopped her from living. Prudence sings in an amazing five languages, and shares her talents with the world.
Typically people with disabilities in Africa, are seen as the result of witchcraft, and they are even sometimes killed, to remove the curse from the family.
But Prudence, born in Victoria Falls did not face the same fate. When she was born, it was soon obvious that there was something not right. Her arms and legs were soon to found useless, as well as being twisted and limp.
Her paternal grandmother, told her daughter in law to refrain from breastfeeding Prudence, which would inevitably mean death for the baby. But Prudence’s mothed did not listen, and was soon ostracized. She ended up taking Prudence to her own mother’s rural home, and when Prudence turned 4, she was left in her Grandmothers care.
But Prudence’s life did not get easy from here, she had to endure things that would be too much for most people. To be viewed by the community and being treated like a disease. Prudence also had to face, not being able to be schooled by her grandmother, after she had only just started at King George VI School and Centre with Physical Disabilities, which is privately funded.
Prudence’s father could not pay for her tuition, so she was then forced to move with him. This also at a time when because her legs were now deemed useless and twisted, they were amputated.
But her father’s new wife, would not care for Prudence, she even refused to touch her. She lived in hell as no-one would take her to the bathroom, so endured sitting in her own urine and feces. And she had to crawl on the floor and eat on the floor as she had no wheelchair. But everyday She would drag herself to a mango tree, to sing, and tell herself that it would all soon be over.
Prudence was then awarded a scholarship to the school.
When arriving at the school, aged 9, she is unable to trust, and felt dehumanized, she is gifted a wheelchair, which gives her the opportunity to clean up, go to school and finally feel human again.
When a school administrator one day hears Prudence’s voice, they offer her to try out for the choir, where within a week, she is running it.
From this point Prudence’s story continues to shine, and it is a documentary that everyone should see, purely to learn the lesson of strength, human spirit and love.
Prudence now has her own Afro-Fusion band, where all 8 members have a disability.
Showing a lesson to the people who had given up on them, these children have worth, and have talent.
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