Kanarie

A Boy George-obsessed smalltown boy joins the South African Defence Force army choir, in this quirky Apartheid-era musical drama.

It’s 1985 and when small-town boy Johan Niemand (Schalk Bezuidenhout) turns 18 he is drafted into the South African Defence Force. Being musically talented Joahn is fortunate enough to escape combat and is accepted into the SADF Choir known as the 'Kanaries' (Canaries).

Set against a landscape where law and religion oppress individuality, Johan and the Kanaries have to first survive military training before travelling from town to town on a nationwide tour. Their mission to entertain the troops and local people, to fortify belief in the military effort and above all to promote the cause of both Church and State. The young men are all expected to “conform” but individuality always finds a way to triumph.