South Africa: The Darkroom Artist shining light on the overlooked

DW (English)

We begin with cinematographer Tshepiso Seleke, based in Soweto, Johannesburg. His work gives a voice to those often overlooked by mainstream media but who are part of everyday life in the city. Through his photography, he captures both the old and new South Africa—its realities and daily struggles—while portraying his subjects with dignity and respect.

Transcript

00:00My name is Sabiso Seleka. I'm a photographer based in Soweto.

00:04My work is about documenting people, everyday people, telling their stories, giving them a voice.

00:09It's important to give awareness to what is happening in our communities

00:14so that we can tell stories of poverty and segregation

00:20and the difficulties that people go through on a daily basis.

00:24They're not giving an opportunity or even a platform to share their struggles, their daily problems.

00:34So I feel there was a need for me to do that, to document and tell their stories first.

00:40How are you doing?

00:42I'm doing it.

00:44I'm doing it.

00:46I'm doing it.

00:48I'm doing it.

00:50I'm doing it.

00:52I'm doing it.

00:54I'm doing it.

00:56I'm doing it.

00:58I'm doing it.

01:00To mostly try to empower people, you know, black people who are struggling,

01:04who come from difficult circumstances and they also need to see hope and find hope within themselves

01:12so that they know that there's like a better future and a brighter one ahead.

01:16I think it gives me hope.

01:18It gives me life to be able to share my work with the world so that they know what people go through

01:26and possibly there might be help that comes for those people.

01:30I think the current situation in South Africa is a bit difficult, you know, like it's even difficult to really portray.

01:40But within my photographs, you can see the difficulty that exists in SA.

01:47The portrayal of Soweto in media is, it mainly focuses on stories that don't exist, you know.

01:54Because of most people that portray it aren't from here.

01:57So yeah, they tell the poverty in a shameful way.

02:01Not the way it is.

02:03However, I can't think of the importance of

02:11giving up, I go to vue off a lot, I just want to think of the people who have to make this problem.

02:18I want to see why I got it's a great problem.

02:21I got it.

02:22I got it.

02:23I got it.

02:24I got it.

02:25I got it.

02:26I like it.

02:27I'm happy.

02:29I got it.

02:30And I have to rant a little bit,

02:32Behind the lens, you capture the powerful stories

02:58without the stories being sugar-coated

03:01or someone misrepresenting those stories.

03:04But the lens, you cannot cheat the lens.

03:05You cannot lie from what is being told through the lens.

03:09I would like to believe the messages that my pictures carry

03:11are messages of hope and resilience, you know,

03:14that our people, they want better.

03:17Hence, they wake up every morning

03:18and they strive to do the best they can

03:22with the little resources they are given.

03:24I call it beautiful chaos.

03:26I think from every chaos, there is a sense of beauty, you know?

03:29The fact that people don't give up,

03:32even though the dynamics are not great, you know?

03:36Like there's like a lot of challenges,

03:38but they still strive to do best, to succeed.

03:41So there is beauty in their daily hustle,

03:44cause they don't give up.

03:45They make sure that they push, you know?

03:48They push the boundaries.

03:49So that's the beauty about it.

03:52When I'm not in a good state,

03:53it's difficult for me to see those moments,

03:56to tell the stories, you know?

03:58But as soon as I'm in tune with myself

04:00and I'm a bit happy and I'm in a good place,

04:03then I'm able to share the stories with people.

04:06I can do better.

04:08I can provide content that is more decent

04:12and the stories are more, they have more weight.

04:16You know, I'm not just documenting for the fun of it,

04:19but documenting cause I want to tell those stories

04:21and share it with people.

04:26But I'm gonna want to have moreese things around you.

04:28I can just scale the story.

04:29No I read an experience.

04:29So that's how you're going to get there.

04:30How is it the τωνynic universe?

04:33Peter how is the Notice of the A lamp and camera

04:34in the spells?

04:36I don't know when I start the design

04:38and I got a pair of video.

04:39And I'm able to show lying down to anyone

04:40and I don't tell you what it's worth it.

04:42So turn it forward,

04:43I can scan it back to you

04:45and get back and see you next day.

04:47As I//G

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