| Alison | |
| Director: | Uga Carlini |
| Producer: | Uga Carlini |
| Screenplay: | Uga Carlini |
| Music: | Alice Gillham |
| Cinematography: | Georgia Court |
| Editing: | Daniel Mitchell |
| Production Companies: | Towerkop Creations |
| Runtime: | 80 minutes |
| Country: | South Africa |
Alison is a 2016 South African documentary film directed, written and produced by Uga Carlini. The film is based on the real life abduction, rape, stabbings, abandonment and then survival of Alison Botha in 1994. Botha appears as her older self.[1] [2] The film premiered at the Dances with Films Festival in 2016.[3]
The documentary is based on the Marianne Thamm book, I Have Life, published by Penguin Random House. Alison is a triumphant, deeply personal and fairytale-like account of a woman who, after enduring a horrific incident in which she is raped, stabbed and disemboweled, refuses to become a victim. Through her survival spirit, she is able to transform trauma into a personal liberation that has rippling effects on all who meet, hear and see her. Very much her own hero, her tale is one of the relentless nature of trauma and the constant struggle to keep it at bay. Built around intimate interview sessions, this is a story of monsters, miracles and hope in the new South Africa.[4] [5]
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Asia-Pacific Film Festival | Best Documentary Film | Uga Carlini | [6] | |
| Silwerskerm Film Festival | Best documentary Feature | ||||
| 2017 | Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards | Best Documentary Feature | [7] | ||
| South African Film and Television Awards | Best Documentary Feature | [8] | |||
| Best Achievement in Directing | |||||
| Best Achievement in Cinematography | Georgia Court | ||||
| Best Achievement in Editing | Daniel Mitchell |
Marianne Thamm: I Have Life: Alison's journey