deur Christa Steyn

Om ‘n film te maak wat geestesversteurings aanspreek is ‘n brawe ding om te doen, maar dit het akteur en aanbieder, Pietie Beyers, nie ontmoedig om sy eie ervaring van obsessief-kompulsiewe versteuring in ‘n draaiboek en film te omskep nie.

Skemerson, wat dus deur ware gebeure geïnspireer is, vertel die verhaal van ‘n jong man wat aan patologiese twyfelversteuring ly. In ‘n oomblik van totale wanhoop bevind hy, Sella, vertolk deur Pietie Beyers, homself op die Bloukransbrug, waar sy pad met twee vreemdelinge, Emma (Anneke Weideman) en Lidi (Elize Cawood), kruis. Hierdie ontmoeting het nie net Sella se lewe gered nie, maar dit het ook die lewens van Emma en Lidi aangeraak.

Beyers is bekend vir sy rolle in Binnelanders, Buurtwag en Sy klink soos lente, asook vir die aanbieding van Blitsbrein, ’n speletjiesprogram wat op VIA uitgesaai word. Sy karakter, Sella, wat ironies genoeg “Place of Peace” beteken, gaan deur ‘n besondere donker tyd in sy lewe. Sella se ontmoeting met Emma en Lidi was dalk aanvanklik lukraak, maar dit was uiteindelik die kruispad wat hom gered het.

Sy mede-aktrise, Anneke Weideman, maak na ‘n sewejaaronderbreking van die toneelwêreld weer ‘n draai op die silwerdoek. Weideman werk tans voltyds as geneesheer, maar het die geleentheid om die rol van Emma te vertolk, dadelik aangegryp. Die veteraan-aktrise, Elize Cawood, vertolk die rol van Lidi, Emma se terminaalsiek ma, en ten spyte van haar siektestoestand sorg Lidi telkemaal vir komiese verligting in oomblikke van wanhoop.

Alhoewel die film hoofsaaklik ‘n uitbeelding van die stryd met ‘n geestesversteuring is, word die onderliggende tema van liefde ook aangeraak. Beyers vertel soos volg: “Skemerson is ook ’n storie oor die liefde: romantiese liefde, liefde vir almal om jou en liefde vir jouself. Dit is ’n universele storie en een van die eerlikste films wat jy ooit sal sien”.

Om sodoende berusting te kon vind, moes Sella eers liefde aan homself bewys en aanvaar dat dit “okay is om nie okay te wees nie”. Depressie en soortgelyke versteurings is nie ooglopend sigbaar soos ‘n snymerk, letsel of wond nie. Dis ‘n innerlike stryd en ‘n alleen pad wat daardie persoon daagliks moet trotseer. Sella se geesteswroeging word versterk deur die regisseur, Phillip Rademeyer se eenvoudige verteltegniek, asook gepaste en dramatiese agtergrondmusiek, met erkenning aan die komponis, Riku Latti, wat meestal die plek van oorbodige dialoog inneem.

Die enigste kritiek in hierdie opsig is dat die agtergrondmusiek tonele met tye oorheers het. Maar ten spyte hiervan het die musiek en William Collinson se voortreflike kamerawerk die Oos-Kaapse landskap op vredevolle wyse uitgebeeld.

Met die loklyn “Dis okay om nie okay te wees nie” bring die skrywer en vervaardigers ‘n boodskap van hoop aan diegene wat met geestesversteurings worstel. Danksy finansiële steun van die farmaseutiese maatskappy, CIPLA, wat ‘n verskeidenheid medikasie vir depressie en soortgelyke geestesversteurings produseer, kon die film gemaak word.

Phillip Rademeyer het die regie behartig, terwyl Palama Productions, onder leiding van Niel van Deventer, die film vervaardig het. Rademeyer, wat hoofsaaklik teateropleiding ontvang het, meen dat hierdie projek ‘n steil leerkurwe was, maar dat dit hom na aan die hart lê omdat hy self al by tye met sy geestesgesondheid gesukkel het.

Skemerson word op die 3de Mei 2019 landswyd vrygestel.

[box type=”info” align=”alignright” ] [dropcap]C[/dropcap]hrista Steyn is an Academic in the world of South Africa’s Entertainment Industry, and a true friend of Stage and Screen.  You can read Christa’s work at www.flieksioneel.co.za.

This review was voluntarily done by her, and acted purely as a trusted contributor to Stage and Screen. The views depicted in this review, are that of the contributor, but edited and published according to the established identity and standards of the publication. We thank Christa for the contribution, and hope for many more collaborations to come.[/box]

The post Skemerson appeared first on Stage and Screen.

Depression is an illness like any other; there’s no shame in seeking help. That’s the message of a new film that treats mental illness with warmth, respect and integrity.

Mental illness, and the stigma surrounding it, is a critical issue. It’s the central theme of Skemerson, the new film directed by Phillip Rademeyer and written by Pietie Beyers, which opens nationwide on Friday 3 May 2019.

The film tells the story of a young man, Sella Beyers who decides to take his own life. He stands on the 216m high Bloukrans Bridge, the iconic arch bridge located near Nature’s Valley, about to meet his fate, when he hears a young woman’s laugh. When Emma (Anneke Weidemann), her frail mother, acclaimed actress Elize Cawood, and Sella meet serendipitously on the bridge, it’s the beginning of a weekend that changes three lives forever.

The film was made with financial assistance from pharmaceutical company Cipla South Africa, which produces a range of medicines for the treatment of depressive disorders. Wouter Lombard, Cipla’s Associate Director of Marketing in the Central Nervous System portfolio, says many people are not seeking help or getting treatment out of fear of being stereotyped.

Skemerson helps promote the message that depression can be treated effectively, and that help is always at hand. “We were keen to help fund the movie as part of our goal to fight the stigmas related to mental health conditions,” Lombard adds. “When Neil van Deventer and Pietie Beyers approached us we immediately realised that we had the same objectives – to get the message out there that ‘It’s ok not to be ok’, and that it’s ok to talk about mental health, a subject that needs to be highlighted.”

Skemerson is a personal story for Beyers and is inspired by true events. “It’s not entirely my own story, but my own experience with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) motivated me to write the script and have the film made. Expressing my emotions in a healthy and productive way proved to be a healing experience for me and I hope that the story will help others too. A key theme of the film is that mental health issues are normal, common, and nothing to be ashamed of,” he says.

Men are four times more likely to die by suicide, which suggests that many of them suffer from undiagnosed mental health issues. Instances of undiagnosed depression are also substantially higher in men, and it has been shown that they seek mental health help far less than women.²

Rademeyer says he has at times struggled with his own mental health and knows the feelings of shame and isolation it can cause. “Helping to bring this story to life was important,” he says. “With Skemerson we hope to convey to audiences the message that mental health issues are common, and nothing to be ashamed of.”

Skemerson is produced by Niel van Deventer (Dis Ek, Anna) and Pietie Beyers. The film stars Pietie Beyers (Binneland, Sy Klink Soos Lente), Elize Cawood (Vir Altyd, Die Wonderwerker) and Anneke Weidemann (Die Wonderwerker, Die Ongelooflike Avonture van Hanna Hoekom).  It is directed by Philip Rademeyer (Wild, Klippe wat Val).

To assist in destigmatising mental illness in South Africa, Cipla launched a free counselling helpline in collaboration with the South African Depression and Anxiety Support Group (SADAG).

If you are helping a friend, or need help yourself, contact the SADAG Cipla Mental Health Helpline on 0800 456 789, WhatsApp on 076 88 22 77 5, or visit www.sadag.org for more information and help.

Skemerson is distributed in South Africa by Indigenous Film Distribution.

The post Skemerson appeared first on Stage and Screen.

Die 9de kykNET Fiëstas is op Donderdag 14 Februarie 2019 by die Kunstekaap-teater in Kaapstad gehou en regstreeks op kykNET, DStv-kanaal 144, uitgesaai. Dit was ’n aand ter viering van kreatiwiteit en besonderse prestasies in die uitvoerende kunste.

Bennie Fourie het die program as seremoniemeester gelei en is deur Schalk Bezuidenhout, Gideon Lombard, Kay Karriem, Jarrid Geduld en Jill Levenberg as sy mede-aanbieders bygestaan.

Die gaste en kykers was ook met optredes deur Jo Black, Craig Lucas, Paxton, die Cape Dance Company, CPYO onder leiding van Chad Hendricks en UWC Choir bederf.

Geluk aan die wenners:

BESTE AKTEUR:

Wilhelm van der Walt – Klippe wat Val

BESTE AKTRISE:

Joanie Combrink – Toutjies & Ferreira

BESTE MANLIKE BYSPELER:

Dean John Smith – Klippe wat Val

BESTE VROULIKE BYSPELER:

Lee-Ann van Rooi – Kinnes

BESTE REGIE:

Nicole Holm en Wolf Britz – Toutjies & Ferreira

BESTE TEATERONTWERP:

Ilana Cilliers en Wolf Britz – GodgOdgoD

BESTE SPEL IN ’N SOLO-VERTONING:

Antoinette Kellermann – Hierdie Lewe

BESTE NUUTGESKEPTE AFRIKAANSE TEKS:

Saartjie Botha – Toutjies & Ferreira

BESTE OPKOMENDE KUNSTENAAR:

Anoecha Krüger – Raak

BESTE PRESTASIE IN KLASSIEKE MUSIEK:

Zanta Hofmeyr en Miro Chakaryan – Viool Dialoog

BESTE PRESTASIE IN VISUELE KUNS:

Diane Victor – Skadu’s en Lig/Shadows and Light

BESTE MUSIEKGEDREWE PRODUKSIE – BUITELUG:

kykNET Konsert Saterdagaand

BESTE MUSIEKGEDREWE PRODUKSIE – PODIUM:

Amanda Strydom – Stadig oor die Klippers

BESTE MUSIEKGEDREWE PRODUKSIE – TEATER:

David Kramer se Platteland

BESTE AANBIEDING:

Toutjies & Ferreira

BESTE DUO OF ENSEMBLE:

Babbelagtig

BESTE VERTALING OF VERWERKING VAN Ń BESTAANDE WERK:

Saartjie Botha – Hierdie Lewe

FEES VAN DIE JAAR:

Innibos

BLOU FIËSTA:

The Johaar Mosaval Journey: District 6 to the Royal Ballet

LEWENSBYDRAE TOT TEATER:

Dr. Eduard Greyling

Dr. John Kani

Sandra Prinsloo

The post Fiesta's 2019 Wenners appeared first on Stage and Screen.