Forbidden Fruit (2000 film)

Forbidden Fruit
	Movie Poster
Directed by	Sue Maluwa-Bruce, Beate Kunath, Yvonne Zückmantel
Written by	Sue Maluwa-Bruce, Beate Kunath, Yvonne Zückmantel
Cinematography	Beate Kunath
Edited by	Beate Kunath
Release date	2000
Running time	30 minutes
Country	Germany/Zimbabwe
Language	English/Shona

Forbidden Fruit is a 2000 German/Zimbabwean short film written and directed by Sue Maluwa-Bruce, Beate Kunath and Yvonne Zückmantel. Filmed in Zimbabwe, the film depicts the romantic relationship between two women, and the aftermath of the discovery of their relationship.

Plot

In a rural village in Zimbabwe, a single woman, Nongoma, and her married neighbour, Tsitsi, fall in love. When their lesbian relationship is discovered, Nongoma flees to the city. When they are reunited by chance two years later, the women decide to move together to a village where nobody knows them.

Because a lesbian relationship is a big taboo and her secret affair is exposed, Nongoma is forced to flee the village to the city. Tsitsi’s family is convinced that she is possessed by a bad spirit. After two years, the two women meet by chance in Mutare again…

Production

Forbidden Fruit was filmed on location in Mutare, Zimbabwe. When the original cast members resigned fearing a homophobic backlash, Maluwa-Bruce recruited friends and family members to act in the film.

Reception

Forbidden Fruit won the Teddy Jury Award at the 2001 Berlin International Film Festival and the FEMMEDIA Prize for Best Short at the Identities Queer Film Festival in Vienna. It received a Special Jury Mention at the Lesbian & Gay Film Festival in Milan.

Nicole Blizzard of Technodyke called the film wonderful and Amy Villarejo of Cornell University called it "a moving call to queer, global solidarity". PlanetOut called it "the most gutsy film to be shown at the Berlinale". Daniel Somerville said "it may not be the best film ever made but it certainly breaks ground in a Zimbabwean context."