The Mahoyo Project: South Africa

The Mahoyo Project Synopsis

The Mahoyo Project is a documentary about the Swedish creative trio, Mahoyo, and their journey to Johannesburg, South Africa, for a cultural exchange with Jo’burg artists.

As we follow their journey, social norms are challenged, and a profound and inspiring movement among the young creative people of Johannesburg unfolds. Through a feminist perspective, The Mahoyo Project highlights passion and creativity in the most overlooked and stigmatized places.

The featured Mahoyo collective consists of Farah Yusuf and sisters Pia and MyNa Do. Each of these women come from multicultural backgrounds and confront misperceptions about race, gender, sexuality, and national identity.

Within a booming urban art scene in Johannesburg encompassing music, fashion, and dance, they befriend DJ Phola and Boogy to facilitate a grass-root collaboration that opens minds, hearts and borders.

DJ workshops with South African women and happenings with norm-breaking local artists. Punk n Ivy, Anthony Bila, and Urban Mosadi are just some of the results, and when the Jo’burg crews visit Sweden to meet artists like rappers, Silvana Imam and Ayesha, the exchange is complete.

Across the globe, in the North and the South, these urban artists and pioneers soar above stereotypes and misconceptions to challenge perceptions of color, race, gender, sexuality, and geographical identity.