BURKINO FASO: Film revisits the end of apartheid in South Africa through Afrikaner family bridled by deep social problems

Record ID: 454541

  • Title: BURKINO FASO: Film revisits the end of apartheid in South Africa through Afrikaner family bridled by deep social problems
  • Date: 3rd March 2009
  • Summary: SCENE FROM 'TRIOMF' DURING FILM VIEWING IN THE CINEMA
  • Embargoed: 18th March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA214YU6E4RD6PVU3PGAYA08JVK
  • Story Text: When businessman Lyndon Plant answered an advertisement in his old school newspaper, little did he know that it would be the start of a new career as a film producer.
    The trained accountant's eye was caught by an appeal from award-winning Zimbabwean director Michael Raeburn.
    Raeburn was on a seven-year hunt for funds for a shocking and darkly comic film featuring incest in a poor white suburb of Johannesburg.
    The film 'Triomf' is named after the poor white suburb of Johannesburg where it is set, which was built on the remains of Sophiatown, a black zone known for vibrant jazz that was bulldozed under apartheid.
    It is so shocking viewers regularly walk out in the first 20 minutes.
    "This is the first viewing that has happened in FESPACO and all I can feedback is as I was sitting in the back .... some of the audience's reactions ..... I've not been able to speak to anyone apart from a few journalists who seemed to have enjoyed it thoroughly..... The audience reactions have been quite varied across various audiences, and this audience didn't tend to laugh in certain parts where many other audiences laughed, but, by the same token, they laughed when other audiences hadn't," said Plant, who put 30,000 pounds (42,600 U.S. dollars) of his savings into the production.
    The feature-length film, "Triomf," which is competing for the top prize at FESPACO, benefited from more than 200,000 euros (253,500 U.S.
    dollars) in donor financing, mostly from France.
    But it still needs to earn 500,000 euros to break even.
    If all goes well, Plant should see a 25 percent return on his investment, plus a healthy share of any profits once all the expenses have been paid.
    It is famously difficult to secure financing for big-budget film productions in Africa, as well as distribution, and many filmmakers say donor funding is drying up, especially since financial crisis hit Western governments' coffers.
    But despite the challenges facing the industry, people at FESPACO say African films are getting better.
    "I think the African film industry is growing, especially now, with young directors, young actors, young film makers. So all of this shows that...many people from various background come to FESPACO, so that's it, the African film industry is growing,'' said Konate Abdul-Karim, who is attending FESPACO.
    "I have attended several FESPACOs, but this one, you know, the level is very good and the film I have seen today, the pictures were very good. I think that film makers are taking their job seriously," added Mohamed Bamba, another spectator.
    Director Raeburn said he had secured big names including Tim Roth, Sissy Spacek and Jessica Lange, but gave up when an agent said funds would flow only if he got Meryl Streep.
    It meant he could shoot the movie, which was voted best film at the Durban Film Festival last year, in a local language, Afrikaans.
    The film is due to be shown in Britain, France and Sweden.
    Production was marked by difficulties: freak rainstorms, carjacked crew members and the loss of the film's entire audio when laptops were stolen from the poor Jan Hofmeyr neighbourhood, which doubled as a real-life set.
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