Beat the Drum | 
| Director: David Hickson
Actors: Mary Twala, Clive Scott, Nthati Moshesh, Junior Singo, Owen Sejake
Studio: Z Productions LLC
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $7.69
You Save: $7.26 (49%)
New (32) Used (8) from $7.69
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 14112
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd, Widescreen, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 114 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: GEPD80619D
UPC: 796019806190
EAN: 0796019806190
ASIN: B000TJ6PA6
Theatrical Release Date: 2003
Release Date: November 20, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 05/13/2008 Run time: 112 minutes
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
Superb movie January 9, 2009
David L. Waters Sr. (SC, USA)
Thhis was used by Dream for Africa to motivate many youth groups to venture to Africa to educate the youth there about AIDS.
Super! July 20, 2008
H. Boelk (Wisconsin)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Having been to Africa recently, I would have to say that this movie displays a very accurate representation of the country of Kenya. The concepts and hardships that the characters deal with are very real, and the contrasts between tribal communities and Kenyan cities are accurate. This movie shows the truth, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone!
A young boy's determination to survive June 22, 2008
Augustine Invictus (Rochester Hills, Michigan United States)
27 out of 27 found this review helpful
The movie definitely merits 5 stars for its excellence and for its heart warming and heartbreaking story. It involves Africa's struggle to deal with AIDS and its devastating effects exemplified in this movie by a young boy orphaned by that disease. His search to find the knowledge of how to deal with this terrible dilemma affecting his impoverished village leads him to set out for the big city,the latter filled with danger especially for a homelss young child. This movie is emotionally-packed and well done.
I highly recommend this movie to anyone young or old.
Hold Your Tears and Step to the Beat June 18, 2008
Caesar M. Warrington (Lansdowne, PA United States)
32 out of 32 found this review helpful
Junior Singo does an absolutely excellent job portraying 10-year-old Musa, a Zulu boy who's lost his parents to AIDS, and takes up the his remaining family's burdens by leaving a dying village to find both work and an uncle in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Produced in 2002, BEAT The DRUM has earned dozens of awards and praise reviews for its uplifting message of hope and determination against the twin evils of poverty and ignorance which enable the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic that's so far killed 30 million Africans, and left over 15 million children orphaned and on the street.
Despite some scenes and situations which will undoubtedly disturb sensitive and comfortable audiences (such as the villagers' resort to animal sacrifice and the raping of children in their desperation to "cure" themselves of what they believe to be a curse), BEAT The DRUM provides a handsome face and a strong spirit as a symbol of Africa's present struggles. It is a film I much recommend.
Beautiful and Sad. I Cried for Africa. June 17, 2008
Jonathan Stephens (Huntington Beach, CA USA)
38 out of 39 found this review helpful
Every once in a while a film comes along that really says something that matters. Recommended from another writer's book on poverty and social change along with BLOOD DIAMOND and TSOTSI, I picked up the film. It employed purely African actors and film crews, besides the director, out of a purposeful effort. BEAT THE DRUM ended up being one of those films that matters. Enjoy.
Set in southern Africa near Jo'burg, the story follows the journeys of a young boy named Musa. His mother and cousins have all died from the curse, but when his father dies from it at the beginning of the film, he is doomed to be known as the boy from the cursed family. He leaves his small village and heads to Jo'burg to look for his uncle and buy a cow for his grandmother, a journey which leads him into danger on the streets of the big city as he scraps for money and food amid the street riffraff.
The secondary storylines follow an older truck driver who is on the road a lot, whose wife does not trust that he is faithful while away and worries he'll give her AIDS. The owner of the truck driving company has a son who he learns is dying of AIDS, but doesn't want to face the truth of the disease's lack of favoritism.
The film puts faces and stories to the disease that is ravaging the African continent. There is much fear and ignorance surrounding the disease. People don't want to talk about it. Using local spiritists, they'd rather call on their ancestors for help than listen to the local medical workers. Some of them even want to spread the disease out of spite for the persons who gave it to them. The situation is dire, yet knowledge of the situation seems scarce enough in America. Not only does BEAT THE DRUM give a necessary voice to the voiceless Africans, it puts forward fantastic acting jobs and cinematography. The film is beautiful and sad, and while watching, I cried for Africa.
---Reviewed by Jonathan Stephens
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