University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

Tsotsi is the street name used by a young Johannesburg delinquent who has taken to a life of crime in order to support himself. Coming from a blighted upbringing, he has developed a talent for violence borne of necessity and an ability to take pleasure in hurting other people. One evening, Tsotsi shoots a woman while stealing her car and later discovers her infant son in the back seat. Uncertain of what to do with the baby, Tsotsi takes the boy home and tries to care for it. With time, Tsotsi learns the basics of child care and the presence of the baby awakens a sense of humanity in him that life on the street had stripped away. SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Claude Welch, Department of Political Science, will introduce the film and lead a discussion following the screening.