Director of SA film 'The Last Ranger' chats 2025 Oscars shortlist & importance of local stories

Gushwell Brooks spoke to Cindy Lee, director of 'The Last Ranger'.

Listen to their conversation in the audio clip below.

South Africa's film industry is on the cusp of making history.

'The Last Ranger' has been shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards.

The local film tells the story of a young girl named Litha (Liyabona Mroqoza), who embarks on an extraordinary adventure through a game reserve guided by the last remaining ranger, Khuselwa (Avumile Qongqo). However, their experience takes an unforeseen twist when they are confronted by poachers, sparking a fierce struggle to defend the rhinos and revealing a tragic secret.

"We didn't go out and say we're going to make a film that's going to win an Oscar. We went and made a film that tells an important story about nature conservation, particularly rhino poaching in South Africa, how bad it is and we all need to be aware of what is going on...ultimately that was the goal of our film...it comes from a place of truth and honesty." 

- Cindy Lee, Director - 'The Last Ranger'

"This just proves that we have incredible stories. What people love so much about our film is that it's uniquely South African - we need to just keep telling our own stories in our own languages." 

- Cindy Lee, Director - 'The Last Ranger'

The film is one of 15 contenders vying for a nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 2025 Oscars.

Lee says the top five entries that stand a chance of winning the famed golden statuette will be announced in January.

Scroll up to listen to the full conversation