Joshua, lives in an informal settlement with his grandmother and father, a well-educated black man and single parent who was forced to flee his home as a result of Zimbabwean politics. Once a scholarship student with a great future, Joshua dreams of winning a BMX cycling championship as a means to finding a better life than the spaza shop which his father owns, can provide. But, even this dream is shattered when he narrowly survives a vicious xenophobic attack during which his father and grandmother lose their lives.
Charles Mnene is a British film, television and stage actor. Mnene's television appearances include guest roles in The Bill, Holby City, Doctors and the drama Ahead of the Class, with Julie Walters, plus several films and stage productions. His first screen experience was in Thomas Clay's The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael, which caused a stir at Cannes International Film Festival in 2005. He also landed the role of Demetrios in Martha Fiennes' feature film Chromophobia. In 2006, Mnene stirred more controversy in the BAFTA award-winning drama Shoot the Messenger, alongside David Oyelowo and in 2008's Fallout, written by Roy Williams, in which he plays a gang leader who murders one of his classmates. He has continued to appear in films, stage and television work, including Richard Jobson's New Town Killers, and in writer-director Paul Wilkins' 7 Lives.