Zikhona Bali channels great-grandmother in new domestic worker role

Zikhona Bali, renowned for her roles in Is’Thunzi and DiepCity, takes on her most challenging role yet, which sees her confront the painful truth about the past in the new film, Don't Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight.

She is joined by Fumani N Shilubana and Rob van Vuuren in the Embeth Davidtz-directed film, based on a memoir about the life of author Alexandra Fuller and her family on a farm in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).

Ahead of the release on July 25, Bali talks about her role:

How did you find Sarah?

In the book, Sarah’s name is Violet. She’s the domestic worker of white settlers in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). She is somewhat of a witness to white echoes in the house. While she’s seen as part of the family, the racial dynamics and political divisions restrict her from being fully embraced. She moves quietly and observes all that takes place in the family home, but plays a pivotal role in how the story unfolds.

What kind of research did you do?

I read the memoir, which I took time to unpack. But what helped my research was the many Sarahs we live with, I myself come from many Sarahs who worked for white families. My great-grandmother – whom I had the privilege to meet before she passed away when I was in primary school – was a cleaner for a white, male-dominated company in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha). When I read about Sarah, she reminded me of her. My grandfather and I used to visit her at work, and I remember it being a different experience.

I remember drawing parallels between her at home – very strict, stern and traditional –  to the one at work, who’d quietly move around the white, male-dominated company. I’d ask myself where the strict woman was, similar to how Sarah moved into the white Rhodesian home. Although Sarah doesn’t say much in the movie, much like my great-grandmother, but when she says something, she is deliberate. What was challenging, however, was learning to speak Shona, something I've never tackled before.

What was it like on set?

It was a heavy and complex story to unpack and shoot, but thank God for the director, Embeth Davidtz, who was so nurturing and passionate about her vision. She called me aside during our first meeting and she expressed her vision for her story. 

What do you hope people take away from this film?

I’m excited to see how SA takes this film that is based on their neighbouring country. I also would like them to see how powerful moving in silence can be, as we’ve seen with Sarah. I’m one person who moves quietly in the industry, and my family life, there is so much power in the small changes, they don’t need to be big or expressive.

What role would you like to play next? 

I hope to play a boxer and if Trevor Noah ever says he is shooting his biopic, I'd like to play the younger version of his mother. I tried to DM him two years ago but he never replied, I deleted the DM months later.