ZULU DREAMS
As a young boy in South Africa during the cruel hold of apartheid, Richman Bongani Mahlangu lives in poverty sharing a tiny house with no electricity or running water with his extended family. His parents work hard and do what they can to support and educate their children. After losing his father to a voodoo curse, however, Richman’s life takes a dramatic turn.
In his grief he discovers the game of tennis, a “white man’s game,” and a whole new world opens to him. Through hard work, determination, and a bit of luck he finds a way out of Africa and begins his quest for a quality education in America. Along the way he must navigate a maelstrom of immigration laws and visas, employers and exploiters, friendships and betrayals, parenting and working.
Zulu Dreams is the story of a man’s pursuit of a lifelong dream for higher education for himself and then for his sons, using tennis as a means to obtain access to the country’s top schools. It is the story of a father who struggles to walk the line between parent and coach, often getting the mix wrong. It is the story of perseverance and hope, gratitude and love.
