Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa says playing battered Grace in ‘Four Walls’ wasn’t hard for her
South African actress Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa is determined to strengthen her fight against gender-based violence (GBV) as she steps into her new role as Grace Molotsi in the new limited series, “Four Walls”.
Co-directed by local creators Juvaiś Dunn, Menzi Mzimela and Kgosana Monchusi, the nine-part series shines the spotlight on the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa.
In “Four Walls”, Mlotshwa brings to life the heart-wrenching tale of Grace, a well-educated woman who is stuck in an abusive marriage.
When Grace finally decides to end her husband’s life, her house is invaded by two thugs on the run from a cash-in-transit robbery gone wrong, who take her hostage.
Mlotshwa, who is a gender-based violence activist, told IOL Entertainment that preparing for her role as Grace and walking in her shoes wasn’t too hard for her.
“Almost every single day a South African woman suffers some form of abuse,” said Mlotshwa.
“So this is me telling the stories of the women I've spoken to, through the Enhle Cares Foundation.
“I took from all of those women’s experiences and tried as best as I can to create a story that's truthful, a story that represents women who are going through the most concerning GBV,” she said.
Mlotshwa said Grace is a true depiction of what happens in South Africa every day.
To bring her character to life, she took parts of herself, her mother, grandmother, neighbours and even Uyinene "Nene" Mrwetyana, who was killed at the post office.
“And all the other girls and women who were brutally murdered…I took all of those stories and encompassed them into one so that people can watch and be uncomfortable, but in the discomfort, understand the pain of someone who's experiencing any form of gender-based violence, whether it be financial, physical, emotional or mental,” she said.
Mlotshwa wanted viewers to understand that abuse is serious, she wanted it to be put in their faces openly, so that it becomes a reality and not just a hashtag.
“As an actress, sometimes my voice is muted by social media and other noises so this was my way of protesting in my art,” she said.
Mlotshwa stated that the story of Grace will resonate with audiences around the world because the show tackles universal themes of crime and human rights violations.
Set to premiere at North East Film (NEIFF) and the Buenos Aires International Web Series (BUEIFF) Festivals in November 2022 and June 2023, respectively, “Four Walls” stars Khulu Skenjana, Gift Leotlela, Jeff Jackson and Israel.
“This is a cast full of performers and we all take our craft seriously. We all take storytelling seriously. And we did exactly that with this story.
“I think people would enjoy the realness we brought to the characters. We were hungry, we felt like first-time performers and the love of creating and bringing to life those characters will be felt by the viewers. The story draws you in,” she said.
Elaborating on the project, executive producer Dunn said: “’Four Walls’ is a personal story told within a new and exciting format. This is the first part of an exciting slate of our scripted content and we can’t wait to share the series with audiences when it is completed.”
Echoing Dunn’s sentiments, co-director Mzimela said: “We wanted to make an interesting story about South African socio-political issues.
“So we gravitated towards gender-based violence and cash-in-transit heists because both are very common in this country.”
Mzimela told IOL Entertainment that the series will showcase at major international film festivals, for a few months, before hitting the South African screens.
"This is an opportunity to show the world a South African story that transcends language and circumstances. The festival run is important so that we can get global recognition and showcase our South African talent,” added Mzimela.
Meanwhile, Mlotshwa announced that through her Enhle Care Foundation, she has started a bursary fund for GBV victims and survivors.
“As women, we are on our own. I feel like no one is assisting women in fighting GBV, including the public. Victims are often victim-shamed for being abused.
“The one thing that keeps women going back to their abusers is not having financial independence.
“So I thought, little by little I'll just keep getting bursaries for these women, educate them so they can create their own source of financial independence,” she said.
“Four Walls” will release in 2023.
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