Mother City is a deeply human, often heart-breaking and at times humorous look at the global politics of urbanism, which we can all relate to.

Filmed over 6 years, Mother City follows the David versus Goliath battle as activists and domestic workers take on property power and politics in Cape Town – exposing the deep fault lines still in existence after 30 years of democracy and creating a nail-biting narrative. 

The story begins when the government sells a school, meant for affordable housing, to a private developer. As an act of resistance, housing activists from Reclaim the City (RTC) occupy two government buildings on prime city land. Set against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, this intimate and at times humorous documentary charts Nkosikhona (Face) Swartbooi leading a defiant war against government and property developers – on the streets, in the supreme court and in parliament.