A Short Film by Joshua Bee Alafia

Imbube (Ezra Mabengeza) and Thandeka (Thandiwe Maphumulo) are two South Africans living in New York. Though they grew up together, they haven’t seen each other in over ten years. Imbube lives by his Saxaphone, day to day, check to check and fix to fix with his heroin addiction. Thandeka has been working for six months as an Au Pair for Darnell (Roger Guenveur Smith) and Irene (Magaly Colimon) caring for their one year old son Dax. The two reunite as if to remind each other of something lost in the New York hustle; we have to be as Bold as Love.
Thandeka returns home to South Africa for five days to bury her grandmother and family friends send her back to New York with herbs to help her childhood friend Imbube quit heroin. When Darnell makes advances toward Thandeka and is caught in the act, Thandeka finds herself on the street. She meets with Imbube after he stands her up at his band’s concert and he agrees to house her until she gets on her feet.
Thandeka doesn’t waste any time confronting Imbube about his addiction. He seems to feel that smoking as opposed to shooting heroin makes him a recreational user. She shows him the herbs that his sister sent with her and he becomes paranoid that someone is trying to poison him. After calling home, he decides to smoke the last of his stash for one last time. He passes out and has a vision of Charlie Parker. Thandeka revives him and he realizes he must take the herbs and end this chapter of his life. Imbube must face finally face the music, and find the balance that is the dance of creation and destruction.