Forerunners

As a child, Martin looked up at airplanes and asked his father who flew in them. Important people, his father explained. People who make decisions. In Martin's words, "I just knew it: one day I was going to be one of them. My parents, grandparents and great grandparents couldn't do it, but for me, the sky is actually the limit." Martin belongs to the first generation of black South Africans who have made it to the middle class. A group that grew up in poverty, but now has prosperous careers, fancy cars and nice houses. But their worries aren't gone forever; the hardworking Martin, Miranda, Mpumi and Karabo, all subjects of this stylish documentary, are often supporting family members. They also encounter discrepancies between new rules and traditional values. In her managerial position, Mpumi regularly meets resistance from her male subordinates. "I decide, and it's a huge culture shock for them. I live in a fast paced, deadline driven environment, and the rural work ethic is different." A single mother, Miranda is also facing problems with her old-fashioned ex-husband. Their stories are interwoven with images of the new Johannesburg and elements that are very much part of their lives: their current homes and luxury goods, but also their former poor neighborhoods, which they still speak lovingly about.