In this episode of Story Conversations, we speak with South African filmmakers Michael James, writer and director, and Sithabile Mkhize, Producer, about their new feature film: “God’s Work”.

Set in Durban, South Africa, it tells the story of a group of unhoused men navigating survival, poverty, hopelessness and the universal human desire to be seen before disappearing.

The film debuted at the 2025 Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) and is currently seeking festival inclusion and distribution.

Michael and Sithabile are young cinematic story tellers who know their craft and the work of masters in the art of movie making who came before them. “God’s Work” is visually beautiful, with a gorgeous score and sound design, and deeply moving performances by an ensemble cast.

It depicts a brilliantly realized narrative that doesn’t romanticize yet seeks to reveal humanity of its characters. The filmmakers hope that audiences will come away with a sense of empathy that prompts action. They hope viewers can find new resolve to live differently and not to look away from the universal and global challenge of homelessness.

It feels almost unfair to tease you with an exquisite film that you cannot yet see streaming or in theaters. But maybe we can raise our voices to urge distributors that this is a film should be seen by audiences around the world.

To find out more about “God’s Work”, and get updates on distribution, go to:

Website: https://www.godsworkthefilm.com/

Official Trailer: https://www.godsworkthefilm.com/officialtrailer

For Media Inquiries: https://www.godsworkthefilm.com/media

If you are interested in supporting the organization in Durban providing services to the poor and unhoused, in the community that inspired the film, you can explore the charitable work of the Denis Hurley Centre https://www.denishurleycentre.org/

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Our guest this episode, Emma Keaveney-Roys, chats with us about a journey to becoming an accomplished story teller, which is part of the reason she was recently named one of the UK’s 100 most impressive female entrepreneurs by Small Business Britain.

Our conversation reveals her curiosity, openness, joy, tenacity, penchant for experimentation, and willingness to put in the hard work to make space for stories. This idea of "space for stories" is not merely figurative. Emma is the co-founder of The Front Room, a not-for-profit fringe theatre venue in the heart of Weston-super-Mare, in the UK. Transformed from an abandoned Pizza Express restaurant, The Front Room is a space committed to supporting local storytelling artists, and to bringing exciting and affordable theater to everyone in the community. Audiences come there for improv, stand up comedy, puppetry, family programming, music, devised and immersive experiences in an inclusive, welcoming environment.

As if running a non profit theater company were not enough of a full time job, this is not where making space for storytelling ends for Emma. She is a writer and continues to perform herself, often in drag as a persona she has created called Uncle Carl. She is currently exploring drag king culture and gender identity as the focus of a PhD degree she is pursuing at the University of Bristol.

You can find out more about The Front Room at: https://frontroomwsm.com/

Get to know Uncle Carl on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylZWhq5RGSg

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When a rare disease strikes, we might be to think only of the small populations of patients who are impacted by any single rare condition as stories too specific to be told. Taken in aggregate, rare disease has a sobering impact on the lived experiences of so many patients but also their families and care givers. There is a chorus of story tellers in rare disease who need to be heard, elevated and advocated for.

In this episode of the Story Conversations podcast we talk with Pam Cusick, SVP of Strategy, Client Solutions and Patient Advocacy at Rare Patient Voice. RPV connects patients and family caregivers globally with all types of engagement opportunities, in market research, health economics outcomes and real-world evidence, user experience/human factors studies, and clinical trials.

Pam shares poignant stories about passionate care givers who turn the tragedies of rare disease that impact their families into life defining initiatives to make a difference in the broader world. These stories reflect the community of patients, families and the thousands of advocacy and support groups RPV helps through their referral programs. Our conversation with Pam reveals how providing opportunities for patient and care giver stories to be heard drives action to tackle the economics and therapeutic implications of rare disease and provides a window into the realities of living with (not just dying from) rare conditions.

Details on the work of Rare Patient Voice can be found here: http://www.rarepatientvoice.com

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