Queer cinema has steadily grown to become one of the leading forces in film internationally over the last five years. And South Africa is no different. Etienne Kallos’s film Die Stropers, which won critical acclaim at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, opens nationwide on 15 March and is the latest in a series of award-winning films about gayness.

The South African-French-Greek-Polish co-production, by first-time Greek-South African director Kallos, is an intense psychological drama exploring the coming-of-age of a new generation of Afrikaans youth. Set against a severe and dusty landscape, it tells the story of obedient Afrikaans teenager, Janno, played by Brent Vermeulen, whose deeply religious mother, Marie, brings home a troubled street orphan and drug addict, Pieter, portrayed by Alex van Dyk, to foster on the family’s remote cattle farm in the Free State.

It explores the thorny issue of identity and sexuality in a provocative and darkly moving way. As Pieter goes through withdrawal, Janno takes him under his wing, introducing him to the farm, the local prayer group and the church boys’ rugby club. But Pieter is far worldlier than Janno, and instantly spots the fact that Janno has a crush on his best friend. Pieter also introduces Janno to the lively nearby black community, and reveals that he has been selling his body to local men for cash. Janno finds this shocking, but he’s also envious.

In South Africa, Skoonheid, directed by Oliver Hermanus, was the first Afrikaans film to be selected for the Cannes Film Festival, and won the Queer Palm in 2011.

Inxeba (The Wound) won 19 awards of excellence at festivals around the globe, including the BFI, the African American Film Critics Association, and the International Queer & Migrant Film Festival in Amsterdam. At home, the film walked away with 8 SAFTAs.

In 2018 Kanarie, the tale of a queer teenage man who gets called up for military service, sparked international interest and raked in several international accolades before even hitting the big screen in South Africa. It won the Silwerskerm Film Festival award for Best Feature Film, among other awards, as well as Best LGBTQ film at the Cape Town International Film Festival. It went on to win awards in Chicago and Atlanta in the US. Kanarie was also part of the Official Selection at the 2018 OutFest in Los Angeles, as well as the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival.

Die Stropers had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation from the audience. The film has already won a number of international awards including:

• Sundance/Mahindra ‘Global Filmmaker Award’
• Gan Foundation, ‘Prix Opening Shot Award’
• Rome International Film Festival ‘Alice Nella Citta Jury Award for Best First Feature’
• Cheries-Cheris Film Festival, ‘Grand Prix’ Award
• African Film Festival of Khouribga, ‘Best Director’ Award

Die Stropers is a Spier Films production. The film’s investors include the KwaZulu Natal Film Commission, Agence Film France, the Greek Film Institute, the Polish Film Institute, and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and produced by Spier Films. The film’s producers are Sophie Erbs, Cinema de Facto (France) and Thembisa Cochrane, Spier Films (South Africa). The executive producers are Dr Lwazi Manzi and Michael Auret, Spier Films.

Die Stropers is distributed in South Africa by Indigenous Film Distribution.

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Christiaan Olwagen se derde vollengte film, Die seemeeu, word op 5 April by fliekteaters landswyd vrygestel. Van dieselfde kreatiewe span, met ‘n geselskap van teater-reuse, en die weghol sukses van Kanarie in 2018, beloof Die seemeeu om nie teleur te stel nie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr8HTakKS8U&t=4s

Olwagen neem dié klassieke teaterstuk deur Anton Tsjechof en verplaas dit na Suid-Afrika in die 1990’s, bykans 100 jaar nadat dit geskryf is. Wat merkwaardig is, is dat die karakters uiters gemaklik in hierdie nuwe tydgleuf en omgewing bestaan, amper asof hulle geskryf is met die moontlikheid van só ‘n verplasing in gedagte.

Elkeen van Tsjechof se volronde karakters wroeg met hulle eie vrese, verlange, twyfel en frustrasies, wat natuurlik as gevolg van hulle eie tedoen is. Ons ontmoet die teater diva Irene, vertolk deur immergewilde Sandra Prinsloo, wie sukkel om gewoond te raak aan streeksrade wat nie meer bestaan nie en kunstefeeste wat haar loopbaan se voorland is. Haar sieklike ouer broer, Piet, vertolk deur akteur legende Marius Weyers, wens hy het meer kanse gevat in sy lewe.

Die onsekere, verlore en vergete seun, Konstant, word gespeel deur Albert Pretorius, wie net sy ma se aandag en goedkeuring soek. Die naïwe aspirerende aktrise Nina, met Rolanda Marais in die rolverdeling, wil wegkom uit die kloue van haar ouers en die klein dorpie waar sy woon en weet nie wat om te doen wanneer sy die geleentheid kry nie. Die immer-teneergedrukte Masha, vertolk deur Cintaine Schutte, handhaaf ‘n liefdesdriehoek, terwyl die opgewekte filosoof Dr Eugene, gespeel deur Gerben Kamper, alles van ‘n afstand waarneem. Verder vind ons die onafgewerkte plaasbestuurder Elias, met Deon Lotz in die rol, sy onderdanige vrou Paulina, gespeel deur Martelize Kolver, asook die armoedige onderwyser Simon, gespeel deur Geon Nel en ‘n bekende skrywer Boors, met Alyzzander Fourie in hierdie rol.

Elkeen van die karakters dra by tot die gevoel van gevangenheid wat die vakansie op die familieplaas onder ‘n vergrootglas bring. Olwagen se unieke styl wat buitengewone lang tonele insluit – ‘n tegniek vervolmaak deur kinematograaf Chris Vermaak – dra by tot die suksesvolle verplasing van hierdie teaterstuk na film, een honderd jaar later, aan die ander kant van die wêreld.

Die Seemeeu is op ligging geskiet in Hermanus in Mei 2017 en deur Marche Media vervaardig. Rocco Pool behartig die stelontwerp en Mariechen Vosloo is verantwoordelik vir die kostuums, terwyl Mari Conradie vir grimering sorg.

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Christiaan Olwagen se nuutste vollengte film, Kanarie, is met ‘n staande ovasie ontvang by die Outfest in Los Angeles, VSA, toe dit onlangs daar vertoon is. Die film, wat op 29 Mei sy wêreld-debuut in Toronto gehad het, is gebasseer op ware gebeure en speel af in 1985, Suid-Afrika.

https://youtu.be/62gdHGqca8o

Die film het aandag getrek by verskeie merkwaardige uitgewers en daar is ‘n hele paar verwysings wat in die plaaslike uitgawes verskyn het, onder andere The Hollwood Reporter, The Advocate, Indiewire en Gay-essential.

Kanarie handel oor ‘n 18-jarige Suid-Afrikaanse man, Johan, wat opgeroep word vir sy destydse militere-diensplig. Hy is angsbevange in sy uitkyk aangaande die grensoorlog in Angola maar vind nietemin sy niche in die Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag-koor, genaamd ‘Kanaries’. In hierdie milieu beleef hy reise, militere opleiding en smee terselfdetyd bande met sy mede troep-maters. In een geval egter, bou Johan ‘n hegte kameraadskap en soos hy verlief raak, begin hy stelselmatig alles in sy eie wereld bevraagteken.

Jaco Nothnagel, produksiemaatskappy Marche Media se hoof van bemarking, noem dat hulle baie dankbaar is vir die ondersteuning van die film vanuit die LGBT-gemeenskap, maar is ook bewus dat die film heelwat ander tema’s aanspreek, wat ‘n plaaslike gehoor by aanklank sal vind.

Stage and Screen sal besonderhede aangaande die Suid-Afrikaanse vrystelling van Kanarie publiseer sodra dit bevestig is.

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