SLAMDANCE 2020 FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW! Mention “spinning” in the US, and people will think you’re either talking about a turntable DJ or indoor cycling. But in South Africa, it’s a hugely popular motorsport seen by participants and spectators alike as a unifying vehicle (pardon the pun) in the country’s racially charged history. Director Ernest Nkosi gives us a glimpse into this adrenaline-fueled passion in his new film, An Ordinary People.
“…a daredevil sport in which drivers do doughnuts on a dirt or asphalt pitch while they and their team perform stunts.”
First, it’s important to define precisely what “spinning” is. Strangely, a Google search of multiple variations only turns up a few local articles. We all know Wikipedia isn’t the most accurate of resources. However, the fact that there is no entry at all seems downright ignorant, considering this activity has been around for over thirty years with a considerable following across its home country. Instead, we have to rely on the word of the film itself and those scant articles across the internet.
Basically, “spinning” is a daredevil sport in which drivers do doughnuts on a dirt or asphalt pitch while they and their team perform stunts. These can include climbing out of the sunroof and standing on the hood (aka bonnet), jumping out of the doors and dancing around or on the car while it spins about, or hooking one’s feet under the steering wheel while sitting on the driver’s side window ledge and waving one’s arms and body in the air.
"…it can't really be as dangerous as it seems, right?"
