The Oscars are fast approaching—March 3rd to be exact—and every year, I tell myself I won’t get too invested. I don’t watch the awards for the winners, not really. I watch because they inform me of what I should be watching, which performances are truly unmissable, and which films will have us all talking.

Of course, there are moments when I root for someone—Martin Scorsese should have won for Killers of the Flower Moon, and Delroy Lindo deserved everything for Da 5 Bloods, but I digress.

This year, however, is different. This year, there’s something personal at stake.

A South African film is nominated. The Last Ranger, directed by Cindy Lee and produced by Anele Mdoda and Lebo M, has secured its place in the Live Action Short Film category, and I want them to win.

No, I need them to win.

I need to hear someone, on that world stage, say those words—”The Last Ranger from South Africa!” I need that moment, the way we all needed to hear Will Smith say Tsotsi back in 2006.

This film is important. It tells the real-life story of Thandi, a rhino that survived a brutal poaching attack, and the rangers who fought to save her life. Shot in the breathtaking Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape, the film follows Kushelwa, played by Avumile Qongqo, the last remaining ranger, and her young protégé, Litha, played by the extraordinary Liyabona Mroqoza.

It’s a story about resilience, survival, and the devastating consequences of rhino poaching—not just for the animals, but for the people whose lives are entwined with them.

It is uniquely South African, told in isiXhosa, set against the backdrop of our landscapes, reflecting our struggles and triumphs. Cindy Lee has created something that speaks to our people, our languages, our heritage. And with Anele Mdoda and Lebo M behind the production, there’s no mistaking the fact that this is a story built from the heart of South Africa. Mdoda, a media powerhouse, and Lebo M, whose legendary compositions have defined global cinema (The Lion King, anyone?), bring a level of storytelling that makes this film impossible to ignore.

Lee herself put it best when she said, “It’s surprising how few people outside of South Africa really know what’s going on here. One rhino is poached every 15 hours. Rangers are losing their lives. Nothing is really being done to curb it. But for us, this is not just a story—it’s our reality. And now, finally, the world is watching.”

When we watch the Oscars, we’re often passive spectators, watching history unfold from a distance. But this year, we have skin in the game. This is our film, our people, our moment. If you’ve never cared about the Oscars before, let this be the year you do. Let this be the year you watch because it matters. Because if The Last Ranger wins, South Africa wins.

And even if it doesn’t, the world will have no choice but to see us, to hear us, to witness our stories in our own voices.

So, set a reminder for March 3rd. Watch The Last Ranger if you can. Because stories like these need to be seen, and voices like these need to be heard. And because, at the very least, we deserve to see our name called on that stage again.