Sand Castles film screening unites audience on the power of positive parenting

The ‘cyan blue carpet’ is awash with representatives from academia, civil society, the corporate sector and young people, as the audience gathers for the UNICEF produced ‘Sand Castles’ film premiere at the Ster-Kinekor V&A Waterfront cinema in Cape Town.

The film, produced in South Africa by Rooftop Productions but for a global audience, is a poignant exploration of the challenges encountered by children, highlighting the pivotal role that positive parenting plays in shaping their lives. Inside the auditorium, the hosts for the evening, Shir-nay and Meagan, two Youth Reporters from Radio Atlantis, lead the audience though the evening of film and dialogue on the importance of parenting support. “We’re not parents – yet – but being a parent definitely looks like it’s tough,” says Meagan, as she introduces the film.

Following the screening, UNICEF South Africa’s Partnerships Manager, Mandisa Mathobela (far left), moderates a panel discussion with UNICEF’s global parenting advocacy lead, Benjamin Perks (far right), co-Director of Clowns Without Borders SA, Lulu Ngcobo and Clifford Joshua Young who stars in the film. “Everything the parents did was unintentional,” explains Ben Perks, referencing the father and mother in the film who struggled to provide the nurturing care that their daughter sought out so badly. Clifford, otherwise known as Uncle Jack in the film, refers to his own childhood experiences in playing the role and how he channeled an old family member who had such a positive impact on his young life. Lulu delves into the local situation and articulates some of the challenges in reaching parents and providing the support that caregivers need across the country, from urban to deep rural areas. As the engaging discussion wraps up, hands raise across the audience with questions to further unpack the storyline and parenting programming globally and in South Africa.

UNICEF South Africa is working to scale-up universal access to parenting programming across the country to help tackle some of the key root causes of issues related to violence and mental wellbeing. On average, three children are murdered every day in South Africa and a further 27 suffer the physical and mental impact of surviving attempted murder or grievous bodily harm. The findings from a UNICEF South Africa U-Report poll in October 2023 also showed that at least 60 per cent of young people felt they needed some form of mental health support over the past year.

As part of this work, UNICEF South Africa is advocating for all relevant partners to promote and maximize the use of existing parenting resources and programing to reach every parent in need. The Sand Castles film screening was made possible thanks to the generous support of Ster-Kinekor cinemas and collaboration with Radio Atlantis and UNICEF Volunteers from the University of Western Cape.