Bernardsville Woman's 'In Stitches' Shows Laughter Has No Borders

BERNARDSVILLE, NJ — There are 11 national languages in South Africa. Most of the country cannot understand what everyone says.

But laughter is universal.

Hannah Rafkin and Meg Robbins have chronicled comedy in the country’s biggest city, Johannesburg for their documentary, "In Stitches."

The documentary looks at how comedians are using their native tongues to break through to new audiences and address important issues like apartheid.

"At any given show, you could hear five or six languages, vernac comedians were bringing their mother tongues into the spotlight," said Robbins, a Bernardsville native. "Audiences were electric. Xhosa speakers laughed at Pedi jokes, Zulu speakers laughed at Tswana jokes, and even us English speakers couldn’t help but laugh along, too. The laughter was different at these shows — deeper, more urgent, more real."

Rafkin and Robbins decided to make "In Stitches" after graduating from Bowdoin College in 2017. They studied abroad at the University of Cape Town in 2015. During the day they saw students fill the streets during demonstrations over the rising cost of education. At night, they listened to comedians talk about national issues on stage.

It took Rafkin and Robbins a year to create "In Stitches." They raised $20,000 to finance the project through crowdfunding, grants, and working odd jobs. Their hard work has paid off. The film was recently selected to screen at The American Museum of Natural History’s Margaret Mead Film Festival next month.

"We consumed endless sketches, late-night bits, and stand-up sets, and we continued to turn to South African stand-up as a point of comparison and inspiration," Robbins said. "South Africa is ranked by the World Bank as the most unequal country in the world. It’s no coincidence that it is home to some of the world’s most powerful stand-up comedy."

Three comedians are chronicled in the documentary, each speaks a different native language: Luphelo Kodwa, who speaks Xhosa, Noko Moswete, who speaks Pedi, and Zicco Sithole, who speaks Zulu.

"By following driven, talented, funny individuals fighting for their place in the spotlight, 'In Stitches' educates American audiences about the power of laughter in a nation best known for its tragedies," said Rafkin, a South Orange native. "It also amplifies the phenomenon of vernacular comedy within South Africa, in an entertainment industry that has often overlooked it."

For more information about “In Stitches,” and to view the trailer, click here.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com