Noye’s Fludde est l’adaptation cinématographique de l’opéra en un act de Benjamin Britten, par le Isango Ensemble. Chanté en xhosa, il suit l’histoire traditionnelle de l’arche de Noé mais l’action se passe dans un township d’Afrique du Sud, avec Noé interprété par une femme (Pauline Malefane).

de Mark Dornford-May

Afrique du Sud, 2013, Moyen métrage, Fiction, 33mins, Musical

avec Pauline Malefane, Mhlekazi Mosiea et Zamile Gantana.

Noye’s Fludde is Isango Ensemble’s film adaptation of the one act opera by Benjamin Britten. Sung in Xhosa, it follows the traditional
story of Noah’s ark but is set in a South African township,
with Noah recast as a woman.

by Mark Dornford-May

South Africa, 2013, Short, 33mins

Starring Pauline Malefane, Mhlekazi Mosiea and Zamile Gantana.

Programer’s Note
This modern adaptation of a Benjamin Britten one-act opera on the myth of Noah’s flood is sung entirely in Xhosa, with South African opera star Pauline Malefane as Noah, and is a striking metaphor for man’s inhumanity to man. A stunning feat from a troupe whose U-Carmen eKhayelitsha won the Golden Bear at Berlin in 2005.

Cape Town theatre company Isango Ensemble’s new production Unogumbe-Noye’s Fludde is a modern adaptation of a Benjamin Britten one-act opera on the myth of Noah and the flood, from the medieval Chester Mystery Cycle. Sung entirely in Xhosa, casting South African opera star Pauline Malefane as Noah, (a fantastic gender reversal), and set in Khayelitsha, one of South Africa’s largest townships, Unogumbe is a striking metaphor for man’s inhumanity to man. A stunning feat from the troupe whose U-Carmen eKhayelitsha was awarded the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in 2005.

RASHA SALTI (TIFF 2013, Toronto



Country: South Africa
Orig. Work Title: Noye’s Fludde
Year: 2013
Language: Xhosa
Runtime: 33 minutes
Rating: PG

Principal Cast: Pauline Malefane, Mhlekazi Mosiea, Zamile Gantana, Mandisi Dyantyis

Director: Mark Dornford-May
Screenplay: Mark Dornford-May, Pauline Malefane, Mandisi Dyantyis
Source Author: Benjamin Britten
Cinematographer: Giulio Biccari
Editor: Ronelle Loots, Meredith Aylward
Sound: Simon Rice, Craig Ormond
Music: Benjamin Britten
Prod. Designer: Mark Dornford-May, John Page
Exec. Producer: Mike Downey
Producer: Mark Dornford-May, Pauline Malefane, Mandisi Dyantyis
Production Co.: Isango Ensemble


2013 | 38th Toronto International Film Festival | TORONTO, Canada | September 5 to 15, 2013.
* World Premiere
* Screening: Thursday September 5 / Jackman Hall / 6:00 PM
* Screening: Saturday September 7 / Jackman Hall / 9:00 AM
http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/festival/2013/noyesfludde