Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
R/T: 86 min
Country: South Africa
Language  Afrikaans, English:
Premiere: Palm Springs
Director: Imran Hamdulay
Writer: Imran Hamdulay
Producers: Lesley-Ann Brandt (producer) | Khosie Dali (producer) | Imran Hamdulay (producer) | Brett Michael Innes (producer) | Adam Thal (producer)
Composer: Tapiwa Musvosvi
Cinematographer: Kabeer Shaik
Principal Cast;  Abduragman Adams, Ridaa Adams, Keenan Arrison
Distributor:  MMM Film Sales
Trailer: https://youtu.be/8X129RPMmOM

Official Academy Award submission Best International Feature Film from South Africa.

At a barbecue with friends, Ryan’s five year old son goes missing. Taking place over the course of a weekend, this sparks a series of incidents which puts a strain on Ryan, his friendships and his marriage. The Heart Is a Muscle is a humanist drama about parenthood, friendships and a man learning that in order to be a better father and husband, he must first learn to forgive himself for his past actions.

The film is South Africa’s official submission for the International Feature Film category at the 2026 Academy Awards. It was an official selection of the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Ecumenical Jury Prize, as well as the Sydney Film Festival and the Cairo International Film Festival.