LIGHTS, CAMERAS, ACTION FOR FILM-MAKER
AFUN, light, beautiful film about falling in and out of love over and over again, with lots of comedy.
This is how Chatsworthborn Bianca Isaacs, a former pupil of Arena Park Secondary School, describes her new film, The Jakes Are Missing, which she both wrote and produced.
Shot in Johannesburg and Clarens, the movie first started as an idea in September 2012. One year and nine draft scripts later, Isaacs finally had her shooting script.
“I guess I was always planning for the film, from the day I had the green light to make it,” said Isaacs.
“Putting the cast and crew together needed time, and it took me two years from writing the movie to getting it made.”
Her film focuses on a teenage boy and his parents going on a journey that will have them rediscovering what it means to love each other.
Janice Jakes (Mampho Brescia) has been struggling with her marriage to husband Donald (Pope Jerrod).
They have all the riches in the world but are very unhappy.
Janice is not sure what to do with her life and wants to quit the relationship, while Donald has been so busy at work, he hasn’t even noticed his wife wants to leave him.
Simon (Mpho Sebeng), their teenage son, is obsessed with contemporary music but his strict folks do not approve of this, preferring him to enjoy classical music.
One night, while grounded, Simon sneaks out to a music event that changes his life as he becomes a witness to a murder – and escapes the crime scene with the one thing for which the criminals are willing to kill. The family is then moved to a secret remote location where they fall under the care of a pastor, Reverend Reynolds (Darlington Michaels), and his wife, Grace (the great Abigail Kubeka).
Against a backdrop of the Jakes family being constantly sought by the criminals, Simon falls for the pastor’s daughter, Page (KwaZuluNatal’s Nomzamo Mbatha), and finds his musical interest might come in handy when the small town holds its annual choir festival.
The movie also features KwaZulu-Natal’s Celeste Ntuli and Sokhulu Mthiyane, as well as Nicole Bailey, Heidi Mollentze, Zakeeya Patel, Jody Abrahams and Dirk Stoltz.
“I believe the film will appeal to all audiences, across any race group and language, across all ages,” said Isaacs, adding that she was in negotiations for the film’s US release.
Even as a small child she had always had a penchant for drama, which she studied at high school, said the filmmaker. “I loved drama but did not know how I wanted to be involved. I did know, though, that I definitely did not want to be an actress.”
It was her “imagination; my desire to tell stories”, and her business savvy, that helped her find a path.
Isaacs starting writing and being attracted to movies shortly before her teen years.
“I could never suspend disbelief and watch a film. I always had to know how something happened.”
A turning point was reached when her grandfather bought her her first stills camera, “and I used to photograph everything I could possibly capture”.
Later, Isaacs would borrow video cameras from her aunts and uncles – “Some I broke or never returned; sorry guys” – and started recording and editing footage.
Her influences include, writer-director Nancy Meyers, writer-director Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese (“Everything he touches turns to gold”), Quentin Tarantino (“He never disappoints, creatively”), the Coen Brothers, Will Ferrell (“An amazing comedian and actor”), Paul Thomas Anderson and Steven Spielberg.
“I started off studying financial mathematics which was not right for me, but I found uses for those skills in producing my own work and running businesses,”she said.
Isaacs went on to study film and television at Wits University, but believes her best training was “on the job”.
While studying, she took the initiative to start an internship with production companies, “making coffee and doing photocopies”.
Being a fast learner and good at what she did, it did not take long before she got to learn the ropes on hit TV shows such as Egoli, Backstage and Scandal.
Very soon after graduating, all the free work she had done paid off when Isaacs produced her first drama series, Kruispad , at the age of 24.
It won five awards at the 2009 TKV Awards – for best script, drama series, director, actor and actress.
She lists that achievement as a high point of her career, adding that another highlight has been forming her Figjam Entertainment company to release The Jakes Are Missing.
“Also, while it is not careerrelated, another highlight of my life was climbing Kilimanjaro last December,” said the film-maker.
She could also have mentioned having produced the popular Swartwater drama series, which took four statuettes at this year’s South African Film and Television Awards – for best drama series, directing team, actor and production design.
Isaacs produced her first feature film in 2010, the Afrikaans drama, Getroud Met Rugby; and in 2013 she coproduced Between Friends, a romantic comedy set in KwaZulu-Natal.
Last year she produced an acclaimed film, Rise, for DStv; and immediately before working on The Jakes Are Missing, Isaacs produced the Umlilo drama series for e.tv.
“The Jakes Are Missing is just the beginning of things to come,” said, adding that she was now on the second draft of a script about a trio of elderly female musicians, The Last Tour, which would also see her directing.
It is due to be filmed in September next year.
“I love the fact that South Africa is making more films. The only way to grow an industry is to ensure we keep making films, to know what audience here like,” said Isaacs.
“For a long time we made films that were rooted in apartheid and poverty. Now we are branching out and making films where audiences can laugh, cry and fall in love with characters.”
Isaacs, now based in Johannesburg, visits her parents in Durban once a year.
View the trailer of
at https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=VW473KEt9qw