Movie set to reach wider audiences with Showmax
Novice actors take the centre stage
A film made-up of 90% nonprofessional actors from a poverty stricken community in Hangberg, Cape Town, will now reach a wider audience after its screening on Saturday night.
Down So Long was screened at The Bioscope in Milpark, Johannesburg, as part of the Joburg Film Festival that ended yesterday.
The unprofessional actors all come from Hangberg.
Produced and directed by Angie Mills and Damir Radonic, Down So Long is set to be on streaming service Showmax. Its SA premiere was at the 2022 kykNET Silwerskerm Film Festival.
It is a highly-entertaining story of Joe Mabena (played by Tshamano Sebe), a heavy drinking factory worker who loses an eye while at work.
The story opens with typical shot in a poverty-stricken community where people steal anything just to sell.
The focus is on Mabena, who is married to Doreen (played by Khadija Heeger) and have many children. When he gets injured at work and lose an eye, he gets a big payout and his family is hoping the windfall will change their lives for the better.
Instead, Mabena keeps his money to himself and eventuGlobal ally finds a girlfriend to chow it with.
According to Radonic and Mills, the film is an empowerment project of the people in Hangberg. Mills explained that they worked on the preproduction of the film for five years and shot it over 21 days on an R800,000 budget.
“Down So Long is a social justice film and highlights the story of poverty and resilience against daily toil of survival. We worked with different groups of communities to secure locations, location management, security and services on the ground...”
A number of filmmakers were honoured at the festival.
Siphosethu Tshapu walked away with the Emerging Storyteller Award, while the Storyteller Award went to Phathutshedzo Makwarela and Gwydion Beynon – both from Tshedza Pictures.
Writer and actor Christ Q Radebe won the Fearless Storyteller Award and seasoned TV actor Connie Chiume won the the Anasi Award. The Rising African Star Award was given to Kganki Mphahlele.
The jury named Egyptian feature film Feathers as Best Film of the festival.
Ethiopian documentary Faya Dayi, directed, written, starring and produced by Jessica Beshir, took home the Best African Film award.
The Best Documentary category was awarded to Nous, étudiants (We, Students) from the Central African Republic.