IFCFilms released the trailer for the film Moffie from South African director Oliver Hermanus exploring life of a closeted young boy serving his mandatory military service during Apartheid in 1980s South Africa.

An adaptation of André-Carl van der Merwe’s iconic memoir, the film serves as a brilliant period piece exposing the psychological violence of institutionalized homophobia.

Moffie starring Kai Luke Brummer, Ryan de Villers, Matthew Vey, Stefan Vermaak and Hilton Pelser opens in select theaters and on digital and VOD platforms on Friday, April 9, 2021.

To be a moffie is to be weak, effeminate, illegal. The year is 1981 and South Africa’s white minority government is embroiled in a conflict on the southern Angolan border. Like all white boys over the age of 16, Nicholas Van der Swart must complete two years of compulsory military service to defend the Apartheid regime. The threat of communism and “die swart gevaar” (the so-called black danger) is at an all-time high. But that’s not the only danger Nicholas faces. He must survive the brutality of the army – something that becomes even more difficult when a connection is sparked between him and a fellow recruit.

Achingly raw depictions of the brutality of military training recall scenes from Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket while the timid tenderness, beautifully acted by Brummer and Villiers, provide a soft juxtaposition. Following the film’s premiere at Venice Film Festival where it was a nominee for the Queer Lion, Moffie has gone on to receive critical acclaim for its brilliant directing, cinematography and acting alike.