In 1952, John Kepe is sentenced to death by hanging in a South African court. On the same screen, villagers protest the sentence while war hero and landowner Botha—who arrested him—is cheered by whites. The scene where privileged whites with guns pose for a photo with Kepe, shamefully forced to kneel, stands as the most defining moment of this film. In a daring flashback, the filmmaker shows Kepe handing out stolen livestock and daily necessities to people in a Robin-Hood-like manner, and his attempt to escape Botha and his men pursuing him. Sew the Winter to My Skin is based on the true story of John Kepe, who stole from the ruling white minority and was hailed as the hero of resistance at a time of severe racial discrimination in South Africa from the 1930-50s. The filmmaker introduces a period of conflict and inequality that permeated South Africa, yet explores this serious theme in a pseudo-Western, in which the tension-packed pursuit scenes add an entertaining and thus unique quality to the film. (Erica Nam)