The Joburg Film Festival 2026: “God’s Work” is a Deep Journey Into Life on the Streets

At this year’s Joburg Film Festival, one of the most arresting local titles on the programme is God’s Work, a stark and unflinching feature directed by Michael James. Set to screen on Sunday, 8 March at Artistry in Sandton, the film stands as a bold and necessary meditation on homelessness, exclusion, and the psychological weight of being unseen.

The film blends realism with abstraction and pushes beyond conventional storytelling to offer something far more intimate and unsettling. It’s a manifesto asking audiences not simply to observe, but to confront uncomfortable truths about contemporary South Africa:

What is God’s Work about?

Set almost entirely within an abandoned inner-city building, God’s Work explores the lives of men who exist beyond the safety nets of formal society. Rather than presenting homelessness as a distant social issue, the film immerses viewers in the daily realities of economic exclusion. Hunger, addiction, trauma, and fractured identity shape both the physical environment and the interior emotional landscapes of its characters.

The building itself becomes more than a setting. It functions as a living archive of memory and survival, holding the psychological weight of those who inhabit it. Here, moments of quiet reflection exist alongside emotional volatility, revealing the complexity of lives often reduced to statistics or stereotypes.

What distinguishes God’s Work is its refusal to offer easy answers. The film moves between grounded realism and surreal sequences that reflect the mental and emotional disorientation experienced by its characters. Documentary textures blend with staged encounters and symbolic imagery, creating a layered narrative that challenges viewers to reconsider how cinema portrays marginalised communities.

Rather than asking for sympathy, the film demands presence. It invites audiences to witness, without mediation, the human cost of systemic inequality and social neglect.

God's Work film at the Joburg Film Festival in Johannesburg | What's On in Joburg — Producer, Sithabile Mkhize and Director, Michael James

Behind the scenes

Director Michael James has described the project as an act of bearing witness. His approach strips away distance between subject and viewer, allowing empathy to emerge not through sentimentality, but through proximity and honesty. Early reactions to the film have reinforced this intention, with audiences describing it as a confronting and necessary cinematic experience.

Produced by Maverick Entertainment, Amafrika Films, and Mojo Entertainment, God’s Work reflects a deliberate commitment to telling stories that sit outside commercial comfort zones. Producer Sithabile Mkhize has described the film as a direct response to South Africa’s widening social fractures, positioning it as both a creative and political act.

The film’s emotional force is carried by a compelling ensemble cast, including Thobani Nzuza, Mbulelo Radebe, Omega Ncube, Siya Xaba, Zenzo Msomi, and Nduduzo Kholwa.

Visually, the film is defined by cinematographer Jared Hinde, whose camera captures the textured decay of the building alongside moments of fragile beauty. Light and shadow become narrative tools, reinforcing the film’s exploration of visibility and invisibility. Complementing the imagery is a haunting score by George Acogny, which deepens the film’s psychological resonance without overpowering its realism.