‘Closer to Harm than Home’ is a short film that explores the ongoing impact of gun and gang violence on Coloured communities in the Cape Flats. Moving beyond the statistics and headlines, the film centres around the human reality of conflict by foregrounding the resilience, fear and enduring spirit of those who navigate daily life.

An individual’s daily commute, walking and using taxis, is reframed as a precarious act of survival through the symbolic flat blocks that are living reminders of Apartheid’s legacies and systemic neglect.

The film avoids glorifying explicit violence and instead uses radio frequencies and static to create a lingering unease. This mirrors the constant vigilance required by residents, immersing the audience in a feeling of shared tension.

The Afrofuturistic approach acts as a powerful counter-narrative to despair, seeking to change how the Cape Flats is perceived. While acknowledging struggle, it reframes the communities as living examples of agency and innovation.

Theytjie is a non-binary Coloured artist from Belhar in the Cape Flats. Their upbringing within a community shaped by Apartheid’s lingering spatial and social inequalities deeply informs their creative voice.

Theytjie’s practice explores the lived experiences of Coloured and transgender individuals whose identities are often marginalised or misrepresented in mainstream narratives. Through photography and video, they create emotionally charged and layered visual stories that serve as personal expression and cultural resistance.

Drawing from urban and rural influences, Theytjie engages themes of identity, memory, healing, and self-acceptance. Their work honours the beauty and resilience of overlooked communities while confronting displacement, violence and belonging.

With a bold and introspective lens, Theytjie challenges perception and sparks dialogue through stories that insist on being seen and felt.