Culture Craze
Rachel Kolisi chooses healing over self-sacrifice in ‘Falling Forward’ preview
There are moments when even the most public figures choose to pull back the curtain. This week, Rachel Kolisi did exactly that.
In a candid Instagram video teasing her upcoming documentary Falling Forward, Kolisi offered followers something far more personal than polished red carpet snapshots or family celebrations. Sitting behind the wheel of her car, speaking plainly and without theatrics, she reflected on the choices that shaped her life and the cost they carried.
It was not dramatic. It was honest. And that is precisely why it resonated.
Choosing resilience, every single day
In the preview clip, Kolisi speaks about resilience as something ordinary yet powerful. She talks about waking up daily with choices, decisions that either move a person towards wholeness or further into unhealthy spaces.
For many South Africans, especially women who juggle careers, families, and public expectations, that message lands close to home. Social media was quick to respond, with followers praising her vulnerability and thanking her for speaking openly about mental and emotional well-being.
Kolisi admits she spent years making unhealthy decisions. She describes sacrificing her mental, emotional, and physical health for too long. Now, she says, she is done with that version of herself.
Instead of continuing down a familiar path, she has chosen what she calls the longer, harder healing road. She does not claim to know exactly where it ends. What excites her, she explains, is the woman she believes she will become through the process.
It is a striking admission from someone so often associated with strength, composure, and public grace.
Not about the spotlight
Given her high-profile marriage to Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, public curiosity is inevitable. Yet she makes it clear that Falling Forward is not centred on her marriage or the headlines that often follow the Kolisi name.
This project, she explains, is about her. About growth. About facing uncomfortable truths and doing the difficult work of healing.
That distinction matters. In a culture where celebrity narratives are often reduced to relationships and rumours, Kolisi’s documentary shifts the focus inward. It suggests that personal transformation deserves as much attention as public milestones.
A national roadshow with a purpose
The documentary is at the heart of the Falling Forward national roadshow, an immersive experience travelling across South Africa. According to Kolisi, each city stop is designed to create intentional spaces where attendees can recognise parts of themselves in the story.
In her caption accompanying the preview, she describes the screenings as an opportunity for people to see their own strength and forward motion, even during seasons that felt impossible.
That framing turns the documentary into something bigger than a personal project. It becomes a shared experience. A conversation about resilience, self-worth, and the courage to make hard decisions.
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Why this moment feels different
South Africans are no strangers to stories of endurance. From load shedding frustrations to economic pressure, resilience has almost become a national identity. Yet conversations about the private toll of constantly pushing through are still emerging.
Kolisi’s openness arrives at a time when mental health discussions are gaining traction locally. Public figures speaking frankly about burnout and emotional strain help normalise what many quietly endure.
Her message is simple but layered. Yes, resilience matters. But so does recognising when self-sacrifice turns harmful. Healing, she suggests, requires bravery too.
As the first screening approaches, anticipation is building. Not for scandal or spectacle, but for something more grounded. A story about falling, choosing differently, and moving forward anyway.
And perhaps that is the most powerful narrative of all.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: MSN
