Acclaimed pulp-fiction writer Ayanda Mkhize has spent a lifetime feeding his creativity — quite literally. To keep up with the demands of his extraordinary output, he has cloned himself again and again, imprisoning the other versions of himself and forcing them to carry the burden of his work. But after years of relentless creation, Ayanda is exhausted, creatively depleted and haunted by the life he has sacrificed for his art.

When an ambitious young writer arrives to interview his literary hero, the visit sets in motion a confrontation between past and present, ambition and identity. As long-buried secrets begin to emerge, Ayanda is forced to confront the fractured versions of himself — and the question of what remains when the pursuit of success has consumed everything else.

Blending psychological thriller, science fiction and magical realism, The House That Never Sleeps is an imaginative and unsettling exploration of creativity, self-destruction and the search for wholeness.

Awards:

- Winner — Best Short Director (Africa), South African Independent Film Festival 2025