Project 10 - Cinderella of the Cape Flats

"Cinderella of the Cape Flats" is an exuberant documentary that gives an insider's perspective on a unique South African battle. For the women of the Cape Flats, a working ghetto in Cape Town, the 'Spring Queen' beauty pageant isn't just a silly way to pass the time, it's a way to momentarily forget their worries. All of the factories in the region compete, each hosting their own pageant with the winners advancing to the "Spring Queen" pageant, organized by the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union. It is the largest beauty pageant in South Africa and it's far more exciting than most pageants you'll see in this country. The film focuses on the Rex Trueform factory, where the pageant is a welcome distraction from the drudgery of garment assembly. The preparations are not only pored over by the participants, but are also watched eagerly from the sidelines by hundreds of other workers. Beverly, who is vying for the crown, has ambitions far greater than being crowned Miss Rex Trueform: "Five years from now I'll own my own company and live in a mansion."