short documentary

Tin Can Town

‘A Place Nobody Chose to Call Home.’

 

STORY

On the outskirts of Cape Town lies Blikkiesdorp, known locally as “Tin Can Town”, a temporary relocation camp where thousands of families displaced by forced evictions wait for permanent homes that may never come.

Filmed over many months inside the community, TIN CAN TOWN follows resident Alie Blakenberg as he navigates daily life amid poverty, uncertainty and broken promises. Through intimate access and first-hand testimony, the film reveals the resilience, humour and dignity of a community determined not to be forgotten.

Part observational documentary, part social portrait, TIN CAN TOWN explores housing, displacement and the right to belong, asking what happens when temporary solutions become permanent realities.

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WATCH THE FILM


TIN CAN TOWN has been screened internationally at festivals, universities and community events. Further information about the film and its subject can be found via the links below.

🎬 IMDb

🎬 Abahlali baseMjondolo – Tin Can Town

🎬 Learn more about Blikkiesdorp

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PRESS & BACKGROUND


Explore the reporting, photography and background material that informed TIN CAN TOWN, documenting the lives of residents in Blikkiesdorp and the wider debate around housing, forced removals and urban inequality in South Africa.

📄 Abahlali baseMjondolo – Tin Can Town

📄 Mail & Guardian – Life in ‘Tin Can Town’

📄 Lizane Louw – Blikkiesdorp Photo Essay

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AUDIENCE & REVIEWS

IMDb

“Life in ‘Tin Can Town’ for the South Africans evicted ahead of the World Cup.”The Guardian

“This is not a place for human beings.”GroundUp

“The Two Tales of ‘Tin Can Town’.”Mail & Guardian

“Tin Can Town.”Abahlali baseMjondolo

Read more about the film and the continuing struggle for housing rights.

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AWARDS & FESTIVALS

World Premiere

Dockanema Documentary Film Festival, Maputo, Mozambique (2011)

Community Screenings

Following its premiere, TIN CAN TOWN was screened by community organisations, universities and housing rights groups to raise awareness of forced removals, informal settlements and the right to adequate housing in South Africa.

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FURTHER READING

Abahlali baseMjondolo
Tin Can Town” – Background to the film and the struggle against forced removals in Cape Town.

The Guardian
Life in ‘Tin Can Town’ for the South Africans evicted ahead of the World Cup” by David Smith.

Wikipedia
Blikkiesdorp” – The history of the temporary relocation area and its continuing legacy.

Internet Archive
Original online release of Tin Can Town

Read more about Abahlali baseMjondolo and their work defending the rights of shack dwellers and informal settlement communities across South Africa.

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TEAM

Featuring: Alie Blakenberg
Producer: Geoff Arbourne
Cinematography: Jeandre Gerding
Production Company: Inside Out Films
Languages: English, Afrikaans and Xhosa