The Ragged Ones

The film takes us to the highlands of Lesotho in Southern Africa, The Maluti Mountains.

Despite the reality of AIDS, poverty and famine, the Basotho still make a science out of their witchcraft beliefs. Ha Soai, a village set some 50 km downstream from the Katse Dam, one of the worlds largest dam projects, is the village in which the film was made.

Ntate Leu is a Ngaka, a traditional healer, taught by his father who was a divining Ngaka in the tradition of Selaoli, throwing bones and healing people. A humble man who works hard and is renowned as a powerful Ngaka capable of stopping hailstorms.

The film is formed into five vignettes, letting us dwell with the villagers of Ha Soai in their everyday lives, as well as going looking for power plants with Ntate Leu. We also meet Me Mary Mofokeng, who is a Lethuela, also a traditional healer who has something to say about AIDS.