And She Didn’t Die

A daughter uncovers her mother’s radical journey from rural South Africa to exile, and how storytelling can become a weapon of resistance and a tool of healing.

Kethiwe is piecing together the extraordinary life of her mother, Lauretta Ngcobo – a rural South African storyteller turned revolutionary, exile and celebrated feminist writer. Through a powerful blend of archival footage, dramatic reenactments and readings from Lauretta’s work, the film explores the personal cost of activism and the transformative power of storytelling. From her role as a PAC courier to raising children in exile, Lauretta’s life is shaped by South Africa’s liberation struggle and her feminist awakening in the UK. The words she wrote became a vessel for memory, defiance and identity. As mother and daughter’s narratives intertwine, the film reveals how stories passed down become acts of resistance, resilience and remembrance across generations.

Official Selection –

IDFA 2025

Sheffield Doc/Fest 2025

Encounters Film Festival 2025