Music by Prudence, a film by Roger Ross Williams, has received an Award of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscar) in the category of “Documentary: Short Subject” in 2010. Produced by iThemba Productions and Elinor Burkett, the 33-minute documentary stars Prudence Mabhena, a talented young woman from Zimbabwe suffering from arthrogryphosis, a rare disorder that severely deforms the joints of the body. Prudence, who sings in five languages, is sharing her astounding talent with the world.

Prudence lives in Zimbabwe, and for a long time almost no one knew about that hauntingly beautiful voice. No one knew the strong, resilient woman that owned it. When Prudence was born, her paternal grandmother wanted her dead. In Zimbabwe disabled children are sometimes believed to be the result of witchcraft. In extreme cases families kill them - to remove the “curse” from their family.

Prudence’s mother kept her and fed her. Cast out of her husband’s (Prudence’s father’s) home, she brought the baby to her own mother’s rural home. Prudence maternal grandmother took care of the child and taught her to sing. A working farmer, she would strap the little girl to her back as she worked the fields. But when Prudence turned 7, she knew she couldn’t school her. So she sent her to live with her father and his new family.

There, Prudence fell prey to neglect and isolation. Her stepmother refused to touch her, and called her a worthless, helpless “ant.” For two years, Prudence lived like an animal - crawling on the floor and sleeping in her own urine, and worse. Every day, she dragged herself to a mango tree in the backyard and told herself that her nightmare will end someday. She was despondent enough to attempt suicide - twice.