Love, Your Neighbour

Amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, a filmmaker attempts to connect with his neighbours through their intercom systems. Set in the upper-class suburbs of Durban, the film explores the façade of the community, capturing houses lined with high-voltage electric fences, warning signs and dogs ready to attack at any semblance of human presence. In a neighbourhood overcome by security and surveillance, a critique exists of what a community looks like in the face of a crisis, and how paranoia turns people towards creating physical, social, and emotional barriers. From the crime watch group complaining about Vervet Monkey vigilantes, to a neighbour blasting eagle noises on a loudspeaker to scare them away, the absurdity of the suburban white picket fence comes to life. Love, Your Neighbour is a tongue-in-cheek love letter to South African suburbia, exploring the desire to connect and communicate in a time of restriction, regulation, and isolation.