On the picture H.E. Bruce Koloane, Ambassador of South Africa to the Netherlands.
The Hague, – February 15, 2017 –The South African Film Festival, hosted by the South African Embassy in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry will run from 24-25 February 2017 with a closed screening and premiere of the feature length feature, “Noem my Skollie” or “Call me Thief” on 24 February 2017.
Written by John Fredericks and directed by David Max Brown, “Skollie” is a crime/drama set in the 1960’s based on the true story of a young man who ends up in jail and uses his gift for storytelling to barter his status with the prison gangs. On his release from prison he is roped into a murder trial and faces the hangman’s noose alongside his childhood friends.
Four young boys on the cusp of manhood form a gang. The leader Abraham, raises his status in jail by captivating the hardened gangsters with his gift for storytelling and becomes the “prison cinema” whilst his childhood friend becomes the concubine of a gang boss. On their release ‘AB’ unites with his childhood sweetheart and aims to give up on his gang friends but they rope him into a crime for which they all face the hangman’s noose. Based on the life of the scriptwriter and set on the Cape Flats in the 1960’s.
The film was South Africa’s official entrant for the 89th edition of the Oscars in the Best Foreign language category and grossed substantial; earnings on the local cinematic scene in South Africa.
On 25 February, “Ayanda”, a movie by Sara Blecher which received generally positive reviews upon release and won a Special Jury citation at the 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival would be open for public viewing, free of charge.
In addition, two full length documentaries, Letters to Zohra as well as Leaving Mandela Park would also be aired.
“Letters to Zohra”, by Henna Renfurm, directed by Saskia Vredeveld, tells the story of an unlikely revolutionary. Born into a middle class Indian family in South Africa, young Ahmed Kathrada sides with the oppressed black majority in the 1950’s. Arrested and convicted for high treason, he is sentenced to life imprisonment on Robben Island, together with Nelson Mandela. On the island, ‘Kathy’ and ‘Madiba’ become more than just friends: They become family. Ahmed Kathrada spent 26 years in prison. Following his release in 1990, he was elected to serve as a member of parliament, and becameformer President Mandela’s political advisor.
“Leaving Mandela Park” is an interesting documentary that focuses on the dreams of children who reside in Cape Town’s informal settlements. It tells the story of children with a unique drive to escape their socio-economic circumstances and in this regard music and dance becomes a focal point. The documentary was directed by Saskia Vredeveld.
The Mission has identified the South African film industry as one of the key industries that could be promoted in the Netherlands. It is thus proposed that a South African Embassy Film Showcase be held in January 2017.
The South African film industry contributes about R3; 5 billion annually to South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide employment for more than 25 000 people.
In recent years, both South African feature and documentary films have won worldwide acclaim and the country has become a popular attraction for foreign audio visual production companies.
In addition to this, the film industry has been singled out in the National Development Plan (NDP) as a key sector for development as it could possibly generate even more income that could create jobs.
The Dutch film industry has been growing in recent years, in part to generous government support that has enabled it to develop a sophisticated film production industry and a keen interest in South Africa.
There remain room for a significant presence of South African films in Dutch cinema theatres and to this end it provides a unique opportunity for growth in the Netherlands.
Should you be interested in attending one or all three of the public screenings on 25 February 2016, please R.S.V.P to Mr Lindsay Louis/Ms Roxanne Martinho at;
info.thehague@dirco.gov.za/ martinhor@dirco.gov.za/ louisl@dirco.gov.za
Venue: Korzo Theatre, Prinsestraat 42, Prinsestraat, 2513 CE Den Haag, Netherlands
Time: 12- 7 pm
Timetable
24 February 2017
Closed screening for industry experts and VIP guests of “Noem my Skollie”
25 February 2017
Ayanda : 12:00-13:45 (Maximum 80 attendees)
Letters to Zohra : 14:15-15:15 (Maximum 80 attendees)
Leaving Mandela Park : 15:30-16:40 (Maximum 80 attendees)
