Raya - Synopsis
Raya grew up in the Cape Flats, and at the age of 14 joins a brutal gang called The Killer Boys. While serving a three year prison sentence, she gives birth to a daughter, Yasmin.
Raya's relationship with her mother has always been problematic. Her conservative mother is appalled by the gangster lifestyle. Now grandmother to Yasmin, Raya's mother is deeply concerned about the child's bleak future.
Once out of prison Raya strives to build a better life for Yasmin. When she discovers that Yasmin was sexually abused by a gang member she hunts the man down and stabs him to death.
Knowing that her arrest is imminent, Raya goes to her mother and pleads with her to look after Yasmin. This desperate request initiates reconciliation between mother and daughter. For the first time, Raya understands the pains and responsibilities of motherhood. She gains insight into the hardships and heartbreaks her mother must have experienced while trying to raise Raya within a ruthless environment.
With calm dignity, Raya turns herself in to the police. She is liberated in the knowledge that she has done the right thing in giving Yasmin a second chance. Her imprisonment is the necessary sacrifice she must make for Yasmin's future.
