The infamous kidnapping case of Zephany Nurse is explored in Girl, Taken, a 92-minute documentary which follows Zephany’s disappearance, her re-emergence as Miché Solomon, and the impact this has had on the Nurse family unit.
“I’m happy that we found you,” said Joshua Nurse, the brother of Zephany Nurse, after a Neelsie Cinema screening of Girl, Taken. The 92-minute documentary follows the story of Zephany’s kidnapping and the Nurse family’s journey before and after she is found. PHOTO: Supplied/Danie Marais
“Stealing someone’s daughter, I mean, that’s stealing someone’s heart,” says Morné Nurse, in the documentary film Girl, Taken.
The documentary follows the disappearance of Morné and Celeste Nurse’s daughter, Zephany, who is kidnapped shortly after birth in 1997, and reunited with her family after 17 years.
The Nurse family, including Zephany, who now goes by Miché Solomon, was in attendance at a screening of the documentary at the Neelsie Cinema on 15 October. The film was screened as part of the Neelsie Cinema Film Festival at the 2022 Toyota US Woordfees.
A family fragmented
The documentary opens with the story of Morné and Celeste, who embrace Celeste’s unexpected pregnancy with palpable excitement. For those familiar with the infamous kidnapping case, there is an ominous sense of foreboding. However, knowing what comes next makes Zephany’s kidnapping at the hospital no less heart-wrenching.
The raw intensity of Celeste’s sobs as she recounts the incident demands that the viewer empathise with her devastation. The urgency and panic she feels as she frantically searches for her child is translated to the audience via disorienting shots down the hospital stairs.
What follows for the family are years of searching for their daughter. Despite numerous false leads, the family continues to pursue the case, and celebrates Zephany’s birthday each year.
Zephany’s absence is acutely felt, especially by her younger sister, Cassidy. “I feel like I was the other Zephany,” she says in the film, explaining that her sister’s disappearance hindered her ability to have a normal childhood.
Friction escalates between Morné and Celeste, who blame each other for Zephany’s disappearance.
A family reunited
Zephany, now Miché, is discovered when Cassidy serendipitously ends up attending the same high school as her, and the two become best friends. Their striking resemblance and immediate sense of kinship leads them to find out that they are sisters.
Pictured above are stills from Girl, Taken. The documentary film follows the infamous case of Zephany Nurse, who was kidnapped shortly after her birth, and the Nurse family who reunites with her 17 years later. The documentary was screened at the Neelsie Cinema on 14 and 15 October as part of the Neelsie Film Festival at the 2022 Toyota US Woordfees. PHOTOS: Supplied/Danie Marais
This a moment of immense relief and joy, both for the family on-screen and those in the audience.
However, the documentary portrays the discovery as bittersweet for Miché, who is caught between her biological family and her kidnapper-turned-mother, Lavona Solomon.
When Lavona is sentenced to 10 years in prison, Miché says, in an audio from 2016: “Taking her away from me is not going to bring me closer to you” – referring to her biological family.
A family healed
The power of forgiveness and the meaning of ‘family’ are key themes in the film.
Miché Solomon and the Nurse family become estranged due to a lack of understanding, and the resentment built during the court proceedings.
“There is no happy ending because everyone got hurt,” says Cassidy at one point in the film.
When Miché becomes pregnant and gives birth to her daughter, Sophie, a new chapter begins for Miché and the Nurse family, who slowly begin to find their way back to each other.
The documentary took six years to make due to time and funding delays, according to director Francois Verster, who spoke during a panel discussion in the theatre after the screening.
The extended filming period made for a better documentary, he said, explaining that he was able to reflect more deeply and capture more of the family’s reconciliation process.
Pictured above are Shameela Seedat and Francois Verster, producer and director of Girl, Taken, respectively. Girl, Taken is a documentary film which follows the story of Zephany Nurse, who now goes by Miché Solomon – the name given to her by her kidnapper-turned-mother. The film took six years to make due to time delays, said Verster, after a Neelsie Cinema screening of the film. PHOTO: Nakishka Skriker
“The documentary has really helped me heal as a person,” said Celeste during the panel discussion. She also profusely thanked all those in the audience, specifically those who have followed her story since Zephany’s kidnapping in 1997.