DIFF Film Karl Marx City has messages for South Africa and the world

A Durban International Film Festival Film - Karl Marx City has messages for South Africa and the world.

By Wanda Hennig

German-born New York film-maker Petra Epperlein was at home in the United States with her co-director husband Michael Tucker when she received the devastating news. Her father was dead. He had hanged himself from an oak tree in the garden of the family home. The home her mom still lived in. The home that for the first 20 years of Epperlein’s life (and for 20 years before that) was in Soviet-controlled East German, the old German Democratic Republic (DDR).

There had been no warning signs that her dad was planning to end his life.

What Epperlein did know, however, was that after the Berllin Wall fell in 1989 and as the process of reunification was beginning, he had been mailed several veiled threats. Notes accusing him of having been in alliance with the sinister, controlling Stasi, the Ministry of State Security “secret police” that had created a society under constant “Big Brother” surveillance and in the grip of fear: even of thinking the wrong thoughts.

So was born the intimate and personal documentary Karl Marx City, the film that has brought Epperlein to the 2017 Durban International Film Festival. It is one of 10 “German Film Focus” films screening: a collaboration between the German Embassy, the Goethe-Institut, German Films and Berlinale Talents, with DIFF 2017. Epperlein, also part of DIFF’s women-led films focus, will share knowledge with aspiring film-makers while here.

Karl Marx City was the city of Chemnitz before the 40-year DDR period. With the name change came a 40-ton bronze monument of Marx’s head that still looms over the inner city skyline: even though the city is Chemnitz once more.

“My father’s suicide made me question my memories of him. Do we really know who our parents are? You live with them. You see them in a certain way. I had a perception of my father as a warm and loving person.”

But with his suicide she began to question her memories. Could her childhood have been an elaborate fiction? Could her father in fact have been an informant? The Stasi were known to have had neighbour spy on neighbour; children report on parents.

We are chatting at the Elangeni Hotel. Epperlein is just off the plane from New York City. The gaminesque architect turned film-maker is shiny-eyed from jet-lag but alert, curious about Durban (“what mustn’t I miss?) and happy to share both perceptions on her movie and the fact that Karl Marx City—the fourth film she and Tucker have made to premier at the Toronto Film Festival—has received fantastic reviews in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and elsewhere.

Epperlein was an architecture student at university in Dresden when the Berlin Wall fell. The revolution that saw the Cold War unravel started in Dresden. She was in the thick of it. Scenes from the time feature in her film. East Germans were trying to escape to the West in growing numbers. Many had sought refuge in embassies in Budapest and Prague. The DDR regime agreed to give passage to the unsustainably large numbers holed up there. They would be taken by train to (west) Berlin. The train would pass through Dresden. The aim was for Stasi officers to board the train in Dresden and take away passports “so they could never return”.

But riots erupted. You see footage of the riots is in the film. “It was the first riot against the regime. I was there and it was four weeks of true excitement.”

Within a month the wall came down.

Two years later, soon as she completed her degree, Epperlein moved to Berlin. “The city centre didn’t exist. It was unchartered territory,” she says. “There were clubs and parties and excitement. Young people moved in and claimed it as their own—until the capital came in and started claiming it.”

After two years in Berlin, where she worked as an architect, Epperlein booked a ticket to New York City. “The ultimate symbol of freedom. I went to check it out.” She found it lived up to its promises and cliches.

It gave her something else too. She met Michael Tucker, the guy who became her husband. He was a film-maker. They became not only partners but also film collaborators. “Film-making and architecture are pretty similar,” she says. “With both, you have to organize complex structures in time and place.”

Epperlein’s father suicide came shortly before the 2013 Edward Snowden National Security Agency (NSA) leaks in the US. “Inspiration for the film came via the NSA leaks. People started comparing the Stasi to the NSA. This bothered me. They were really not the same. The Stasi were a repressive communist regime. You were not permitted to express your view or dissent. The NSA operates within a democratic society.

“I realised how little people knew about the Stasi or what life was like behind the Iron Curtain. East Germans don’t want to talk about it 27 years after reunification. It hasn’t been processed. Questions, for example about complicity, haven’t been addressed. It’s complex. So many questions.

“I thought, before it slips away and is lost, we should make a film about it. The final decision came after we went to the Stasi archives and discovered the film and video archives. Endless hours of surveillance. Mind-blowing. So much of it banal. The banality of evil. Unsuspecting people unaware they were being watched. Almost perfect documentary material.”

At the start of their quest, to try and find answers via the Stasi files, Epperlein had to convice her mom and her twin brothers that addressing this via a doccie was a good idea. “It was my obsession, to try and find the truth about my father. I imposed it on them. They were at first opposed. But then they went along.” The experience, she says, has brought them closer.

This is a film that will resonate with many South Africans who lived through apartheid. Think Broederbond and the Bureau for State Security (BOSS). Even the recent revelations of the Bell Pottinger secret manipulations... On a more intimate level, the family relationships resonate.

Epperlein and Tucker sponsor their own movies. They make them, then set about selling them. One called Fightville about cage fighting—“some amateur fighters who think their way of fulfilling the American dream is to go into a cage and beat each other up”—made them a bunch of money a couple of years ago.

It supported the current film “about a world that doesn’t exist any more.” Yet has profound lessons in the world we live in now where constant surveillance is a given. “It’s good to be aware of what it feels like to live in a truly oppressive society.”

The Stasi, she laughs, would have loved Facebook.

Karl Marx City shows tonight ( July 17) at 5pm  (one screening only) at Gateway Sterkinekor during the Durban International Film Festival which runs until Sunday, July 23. Tickets for this screening at box-office or www.sterkinekor.com.  For more information about the DIFF go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za.

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The Durban International Film Festival brings Germany to South Africa

The 38th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is set to captivate audiences with a German Focus, which features ten gripping films by some of Germany’s finest directors, a masterclass by German film industry professionals, as well as networking sessions with the cream of the international film industry crop.

 Curated by Alex Moussa Sawadogo, the variety of the films on the lineup is set to keep audiences enthralled. Films such as The People vs Fritz Bauer (which relates to German history after the WWII and the role of the attorney of law Fritz Bauer in confronting the state with its political shortcomings), Paula (which recounts the journey of a well-known early 20th century painter, who discovered her artistic freedom in a more traditional Germany), Goodbye Berlin (a depiction of how the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany merged into one state, taking two young children as the protagonists of a road movie through former East Germany) and Greetings From Fukushima (which breaks the common stereotypes that surround Germans) will leave audiences with a better understanding of German history, culture and people.

 While Goodbye Berlin ties in with this year’s overall festival theme, “Transit Tales”, All of a Sudden, Greetings From Fukushima, Paula and Karl Marx City speak to one of this year’s focus areas – women-led films.

 DIFF audiences will have the chance to meet key people behind the productions. Anand Batbileg and Tristan Göbel, two of the most promising talents in Germany’s film scene and the main actors of Goodbye Berlin will be in Durban for a Q&A following the German Gala screening of Goodbye Berlin at The Playhouse (Drama Theatre) on 16 July (time to be confirmed). The award winning and family friendly film was made by prominent film maker Fatih Akin who recently presented his last film in Cannes. Tickets for the Gala Screening are available at Computicket.

 Another confirmed DIFF guest is Doris Dörrie, director of Greetings From Fukushima. With her unmistakable way of storytelling, she has been one of the towering figures in German cinema since she stirred up the countries’ film scene in 1985 with the gender comedy Men. Christian Schwochow has been awarded for both his cinema and theatre work and will visit DIFF in his capacity as Director of Paula. Petra Epperlein will visit Durban as well to present the extraordinary documentary Karl Marx City, which is a highly personal cinematic journey into her childhood to find the truth about her late father’s suicide and his rumored past in the GDR’s secret service. Furthermore, Directors Karin Steinberger (The Promise) and Stephan Rick (The Dark Side Of The Moon) will be attending DIFF. 

 The German Focus at DIFF 2017 is presented by German Films, the Goethe-Institut and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in South Africa in cooperation with DIFF. 

Alex Moussa Sawadogo, director of the Afrikamera Festival and curator of the German Film Focus at DIFF elaborates: “Long considered as a highly politicized cinema that placed social and political criticism at the heart of its creation, today, German cinema is dominated by a new generation of directors. From diverse origins, free and gifted, these German directors are at the foreground of the vivacity of the production of German cinema, which is recognized all over the world. They bring the concerns of their generation in an intimate sphere on screen and discuss the tribulations of a new Germany that has opened itself to the world - particularly by receiving many people in distress. The German Film Focus at DIFF 2017 presents itself as a unique platform for the discovery of a program of new, diversified, exciting and engaging German films of all kinds – a cinema that places German people from all origins at the heart of its creation.”

Mariëtte Rissenbeek, German Films Service said: “The majority of the films we are presenting have been very successful at a large number of international film festivals. The kinds of stories they tell and the way in which they are told are relevant for a larger international audience, and the director’s handwriting has both a specific and an international element. The strength of German cinema at present is its diversity. Since the year 2000 a number of German films, about German history and personal stories, have been made which achieved international success.”

 Lien Heidenreich-Seleme, Head of Cultural Programmes at the Goethe-Institut, added: “The goals of the Goethe-Institut are to support film within the creative industries and to undo with stereotypes through visual storytelling. We do this with training and networking initiatives, through interdisciplinary and pan-African collaborations, and by increasing access to the variety of German filmmaking. In this light, and after our longstanding relationship with DIFF, we are excited about this year’s German focus.”    

 DIFF, the Goethe-Institut South Africa and Berlinale Talents have a decade-long partnership. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Talents Durban, a programme that began in 2008 as a result of the partnership between DIFF and Berlin International Film Festival’s Berlinale Talents, with the support of the Goethe-Institut and the German Embassy.   

 Talents Durban is an annual five-day training and mentorship programme that runs at DIFF, aimed at empowering emerging 27 African screenwriters and directors working on projects for film, television, web series and content for mobile platforms. The 10th edition will take place from 14-18th of July under the theme “Perspectives: Seeing things differently”, which is derived from the observation that film alone may not change the world but can show the world when it changes. Talents Durban looks to not only highlight the stories of Africa, but create a culture of Africans telling their own stories, and most importantly from their experience and perspective of cutting edge and modern cinematic technology. Talents Durban is happy to welcome the German directors Doris Dörrie, Petra Epperlein and the two main characters of Fatih Akin’s film Goodbye Berlin, Anand Batbileg and Tristan Göbel. As part of Talents Durban and in association with the Goethe-Institut and FIPRESCI (International Association of Film Critics), the Talent Press programme will provide again mentorship and hands-on training in the craft of film criticism to three emerging African journalists. 

Furthermore, the Goethe-Institut will present “New Dimensions – Virtual Reality Africa”, a brand new package of four VR productions from Kenya, Ghana and Senegal. The works were co-produced with Cape Town based Electric South. To be shown at the Durban FilmMart (DFM), they allow a glimpse into the fascinating new opportunities that technology provides for visual storytelling.

DIFF is one of Africa’s leading and longest running festivals, and runs from 13 to 23 July in Durban, South Africa. 

To find out more about the German Focus at DIFF, visit www.durbanfilmfest.co.za, or follow the Festival and the German Film Focus partners on social media: 

Twitter: 

@DIFFest (#DIFF2017) 

@German_Films #germanfilms

@goethejoburg 

@berlin_talents

@GermanEmbassySA

Facebook: 

Durban International Film Festival 

German Films

Goethe-Institut Johannesburg

Talents Durban

German Embassy Pretoria

Instagram:

@durbaninternationalfilmfest

@germanfilms #germanfilms

@goethe_jhb

@berlinaletalents

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Virtual Reality Showcase at DFM 2017

Virtual Reality Showcase at DFM 2017

An exploration of the possibilities of Virtual Reality (VR) will be one of the highlights of the 8th Durban FilmMart (DFM), Africa’s premier film finance and co-production forum, which takes place at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel from July 14 to 17 during the Durban International Film Festival.

Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the most exciting emerging technologies on the digital landscape and there is little doubt that it will ultimately have a massive impact on the ways that we consume media and engage with each other and society. At the same time, VR is still such a wide open frontier that there is little consensus as to what the future of this embryonic technology will be. This year’s DFM programme features a number of events that explore the possibilities of VR, particularly in terms of filmmaking and digital storytelling.

For those unfamiliar with VR – or who may not have experienced it for themselves – a VR demo session will take place on Sunday, July 16, from 10am-12noon, in the form of a Master Class presented by AFDA which will showcase the Pro VR 360 Headset. Then, on Monday, July 17, from 2pm-3pm, there will be a session entitled: ‘VR: What’s Happening in Africa and What Can We Make Happen?’ presented by Electric South and AFDA. Featuring VR experts Ingrid Kopp and Shmerah Passchier, the session will explore the possibilities for VR on the continent as well as present and discuss various projects that are currently underway in Africa. Kopp, who is one of the leading authorities on interactive media and virtual reality in the context of digital narratives, will talk about her experience with African-produced VR and the challenges facing the industry, while Passchier will discuss the notion of the cyborg filmmaker, in which virtual reality and the notion of the digital-human collide.

Passchier, who is at the leading edge of theoretical writing about VR, notes that “the cyborg filmmaker emerges from science fiction, specifically from afrofuturism, from Africa. It is the cinematic voice of the global south. The cyborg disrupts the boundary between human and machine because the tools of VR filmmaking are extensions of the cyborg self. The afrofuturist cyborg inserts itself into the global virtual reality narrative by splicing technology into the story-telling self. The virtual reality camera rig, with its multiple eyes, hybridises and multiplies the possibilities of new ways of seeing.”

She continues: “By harnessing the tools of the digital revolution, we transcend our race, our gender and our species. We splice the self with technology to form new identities, to tell new stories, to create new worlds of immersive story, to disrupt reality, to disrupt the human being, to become cyborg filmmakers.”

Talking about the African VR industry, Kopp is excited by the work that has emerged so far but also recognizes the financial challenges involved and warns that it’s vital that Africa, which has so much to offer the VR industry, does not get left behind because of a lack of funding and resources. “In many ways, the continent’s VR landscape is uncharted territory,” said Kopp. “While hubs of activity have emerged in places like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi and Accra, even those working in the industry struggle to get a clear sense of what works – and what doesn’t – in different cities and outside the urban hubs”. She points out that everything, from how to get equipment in and out of countries to skill-building to camera setups that are rugged and don’t overheat, is part of a growing conversation about what form the African VR industry will take as it establishes itself.

But even with the availability of accessible gear, other technological and economics constraints will make it difficult for widespread consumer adoption to take off in many African countries. For producers, though, an industry is emerging that might, in time, satisfy global demand for African content. It is vital, says Kopp, that African VR content is made by Africans.

As well as the masterclass demonstration and the VR discussion session, Electric South, together with the Goethe Institut, will also be showing VR films in the industry lounge for the duration of DFM, including The Other Dakar by Selly Raby Kane, Spirit Robot by Jonathan Dotse, Let This Be a Warning by The Nest Collective and Nairobi Berries by Ng’endo Mukii.

So don’t miss this opportunity to explore this cutting-edge technology and the endless possibilities that it presents.

Ingrid Kopp is a co-founder of Electric South, a non-profit initiative that aims to develop virtual reality and mobile storytelling projects across Africa. Kopp is also a senior consultant in the Interactive Department at the Tribeca Film Institute where she works at the intersection of storytelling, technology, design and social change. Along with MIT’s Open DocLab, she leads the Interactive Media Impact Working Group, exploring how emerging media engages audiences, and recently launched Immerse, a new publication for Medium, as an extension of this work. Having spent 10 years in New York, Kopp is currently based in Cape Town.

Shmerah Passchier has worked in the film and television industry as a writer, director and producer. She has travelled extensively around Africa, directing magazine, reality shows and documentaries for the SABC and DSTV. Passchier has a Master’s degree in film from AFDA and a Master’s degree in Anthropology from Wits University. She is currently reading for a PhD in Cyborg Filmmaking and Virtual Reality at Wits University.

The 8th Durban FilmMart takes place in Durban, at the Tsogo Sun Elangeni from 14 to 17 July 2017, during the 38th edition of the Durban International Film Festival (13-23 July 2017).

For more information on the Durban FilmMart and to register as a delegate visit www.durbanfilmmart.com

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Grantleigh claims their third SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Tournament Regional Title

A monumental tussle between two rival schools, saw Grantleigh College reclaim their title in the Northern Coastal regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge which took place at their school on Sunday, May 28. 

Having previously twice won this regional Grantleigh were not going to relinquish their title without a good fight. Faced with a tight-knit outfit representing Felixton, the two teams came head to head in a dramatic, fast-paced and energetic gold/silver finals.

Felixton dominated the majority of the game, powerfully surging forwards countless times but encountered a firm solid defense from Grantleigh’s backline, and were unable to penetrate. In the last three minutes, Grantleigh secured a short corner, and Chene van Wyk managed to convert it into a point to steal the hopes of a win from their opponents.

Both Felixton and Grantleigh won their pool games and met Empangeni High School and Richardsbaai Skool respectively in the semi-final playoffs. The semis ended with both finalists going one-up against their opponents. Then Empangeni met Richardsbaai for third position in the bronze game, with Empangeni winning 1-0.

Danielle van Onselen, Captain of Grantleigh who was ecstatic about the win said, “It was a fast and tense final and there was a lot on the line going up against Felixton. At half time we really decided that we wanted this win very badly, and we went for it.”

Winning the award for the Most Promising Umpire, fourteen-year old Brett Braithwaite from Grantleigh, exhibited fantastic control and knowledge of all the games he officiated and oversaw.

Nine teams participated in this year’s Northern Coastal regionals and the tournament was played in two pools, with games lasting 20 minutes one-way with the final game lasting half an hour going two ways.

Wrapping up the regionals for this year’s SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge, Grantleigh will meet St Mary’s winners of the Highway Regional, King Edward High School, winners of the Ugu and Sisonke Regional, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central) and Wartburg Kirchdorf (Umvoti, uThukela and Umzinyathi) at the Grand Finals at St Mary’s in Durban on July 29 and 30.

Jumpstart - Pitching programme for emerging South African filmmakers at Durban FilmMart

Ten South African emerging filmmakers will have an opportunity to hone their pitching skills at this year’s Durban FilmMart (DFM) Jumpstart – a compact programme that essentially provides a springboard for filmmakers new to the industry, which takes place in Durban from July 14 to 17 during the Durban International Film Festival.

Supported by DFM partner, Produire au Sud of Festival des 3 Continents, in Nantes, France, the programme aims to introduce emerging filmmakers to the art of project pitching, and will also provide participants with a guide on how to maximize festivals and markets, and expose them to the workings of local and international industry.  

This is also a way that they are provided with a professional introduction to the international co-production market,” explains Toni Monty, Head of the DFO. “Often for filmmakers, new to the scene, this is a very daunting task, and if they have never been exposed to how pitches are conducted would find it very intimidating doing so for the first time. So this programme provides a safe and engaging introduction for filmmakers to be exposed to the inner workings of the pitch.” 

Jumpstart begins on July 13 with an introduction and overview. The next day, participants will take part in a workshop conducted by Stefano Tealdi, seasoned producer and director who also tutors film development and production at universities and master courses, and film pitching for organisations, such as Biennale Cinema College, Cannes Film Market, Festival des 3 Continents – Produire au Sud, Media Business School, Med Film Factory, Scuola Holden, TFL-Torino Film Lab, ZELIG Film School. 

They will also participate in the edgy Restless Talent Pitch workshop and will be eligible to put their names forward for random selection to pitch their project at the Restless Talent Pitch at DFM. The workshop and pitch are hosted by Restless Talent Management, the first global management company to focus on African talent.

The candidates will have opportunities to discuss their projects with mentors, take part in a Virtual Reality workshop, attend a co-production workshop hosted by the NFVF and observe the Talents Durban Story Junction session – activities all aimed to further develop their pitching skills and confidence.

Interested filmmakers are invited to apply for this programme. Submissions are now open and will close at 5pm on June 16, 2017.

The programme is for emerging South Africa Filmmakers only. Applicants must submit their project synopsis and filmmaker profile.

To apply email info@durbanfilmmart.com and use Jumpstart Application in the subject line.

For further information about the Durban FilmMart or to register go to www.durbanfilmmart.com.

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St Mary's Scoops Sixth Victory in Highway Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge

St Mary’s DSG, scooped their sixth victory in the Highway Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge which took place at Curro Hillcrest on Sunday, May 21.

This regional, which has always been a hotly contested one, saw six teams play 30 minute one-way games in round robin format on a perfect autumn day.

St Mary’s claimed their first victory in the first game of the day against Westville Girls High who went full out in an attempt to place themselves in the regional final, but were unable to score against Saints’ 2.

Try as they did but Westville, who battled against St Mary’s for this title in the regional final last year, could not edge out Kloof High either from the runnings for the finals. After losing to St Mary’s they managed to win against Curro Hillcrest and Hillcrest High scoring a bonus point for three or more goals. But it was the second to last game of the round robin against Kloof , which could have been the game changer, where they drew, resulting in Kloof going up against the defending champions. The teams were evenly matched, but in the last 30 seconds Westville Girls High were awarded a penalty for a deliberate foul in the D. A perfect opportunity for them to score from right in front of the goal, but they were unable to convert this into a winning result.

The finals of this regional, was a tough one coming late on a hot, long day, and Kloof tried valiantly to claim the title from St Mary’s.  But Saints were in top form and pushed for goals, and within the first 10 minutes had already scored twice. 

While they dominated much of the game, the Kloof players fought back hard, with the diminutive Dashal Naidoo’s nifty dribbling and Kaelin Hartog’s incredible ability to send the ball flying away from their goal supporting their team.  Their goalie Zama Ngidi, had courage of steel as she fought off shot after shot at the goals with gargantuan determination. 

St Mary’s played a very technical, hard and skillful game, using fancy teamwork to own the day. Leah Piggot, claimed the first and third goals, while Hannah Shirley claimed the second, both taking advantage of the flurry in the D. Piggot hit a hard first shot, and then later after the team had tried twice for goals and had been thwarted by the opponents goalie, she managed an excellent and unexpected reverse stick past the courageous Ngidi. The end result was 3-0.

St Mary’s will join nine regional winners at the Grand Finals at their school in Durban on July 29 and 30. Regional winners include King Edward High School, winners of the Ugu and Sisonke Regional, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central) and Wartburg Kirchdorf (Umvoti, uThukela and Umzinyathi) and another from the Northern Coastal regional to be played on May 28 at Grantleigh in Richards Bay. 

For more info like the Facebook page.

Results:

1 St Mary’s DSG, 2 Kloof High School, 3 Westville Girls High School, 4 Thomas More College, 5 Hillcrest High School, 6 Curro Hillcrest Christian Academy

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SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge - Grantleigh College

The Northern Coastal KZN Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge, will take place at Grantleigh College in Richards Bay on Sunday, May 28.

This regional, the last in the series of ten in this year’s Challenge, features eight schools playing pool games with the top scoring teams of each pool facing off in a regional final on Grantleigh’s astroturf. Pool games will be 20 minutes one way, and the finals 30 minutes, with 15 minutes played each way.

Richardsbaai Hoërskool, Felixton, Richards Bay Christian School, John Ross College and Eshowe High School will play in Pool A, while Grantleigh College, St Catherine’s School, Empangeni High School and Mandini College in Pool B.

Hosts and defending champs, Grantleigh College has twice represented this regional at the Grand Finals, the first in the inaugural tournament in 2011 and then again last year. They snapped the regional title away from four time winners, Empangeni High, who no doubt will be eager to reprise their victory once more. Last year’s regional although ended with a show-down between Richardsbaai Hoërskool and Grantleigh, so it remains to be seen who will dominate this time.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Grantleigh coach Garth Bishop says “The team is quietly confident however the competition will be tough and it is going to take lots of hard work to try defend the title.”

“Last year was a really tough year, we performed really well against the bigger schools, but unfortunately couldn’t sustain the performances later in the tournament. It has just shown how we need to play at a consistent level if we want to achieve again this year.” 

“We participated at the Nedstar Hockey clinic in Pretoria, and although not all the results went according to plan we managed to take significant strides forward as a team. The Irish Men’s hockey coach, Craig Fulton, also gave the girls some areas to think about while playing if they want to achieve at a higher level.”

“We expect that this will probably be one of the toughest years as there are a number of schools who have really improved over the past few seasons and it is probably the most open competition in the last few years,”  continues Bishop. “It would be great to win the regionals again as the finals in Durban is definitely a highlight of the season for all the players.”

Winners will meet nine other teams from around KZN at the Grand Finals at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof on 29th and 30th July. They will join Wartburg Kirchdorf, winners of the PMB Inland Regional, St Mary’s DSG winner of the Highway Regional, King Edward, winners of the Ugu and Sisonke Regional, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central).

For more information like the Facebook page.

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SPAR KZN School Girls' Hockey Challenge - Wartburg Kirchdorf claims their victory - May 13

Wartburg Kirchdorf claimed their fifth consecutive victory at the Umvoti, uThukela and Umzinyathi Regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge at Wembley College in Greytown this Saturday.

The cold, rainy and blustery weather did not dampen the spirits of the five first schoolgirls’ hockey teams, as they took to the astro. But is was the defending champions, Wartburg Kirchdorf who owned the day despite all the teams having had a tough time in the conditions. As the weather was less than ideal, games were shortened to 20 minutes one way instead of 30 minutes as originally planned for this regional. 

In the final game, Wartburg psychologically worked some magic asthey scored the game’s three goals within the first four minutes. Michelle Engelbrecht, managed to score the first and third goals, while her cousin Elona Engelbrecht,  who plays for KZN U19 Inland Kites Team (although she is only U17), the second – with all three goals secured with skillful reverse stick precision. 

Wembley fought back bravely, and managed to keep the decisive opponents out of the goals for the rest of the game, but, this resulted in them having to play a more defensive game. Goalie Ashleigh Mason was not going to allow any more passages into her goal, and valiantly defended it backed up by some rather determined Wembley defence.

An elated Wartburg Kirchdorf coach Lisa Misselhorn said “We are thrilled to have once again taken the honours. This was initially a very tough regional for us, as we were not playing with our heads. I knew all along that the bodies would not give up, they are strong, but we needed to pull together to play a more strategic team game. In the end this all seemed to come together and I think they worked extremely well as a team in the final game against Wembley.”Kevin Engelbrecht, a relative of the Engelbrecht girls, was acknowledged as the most promising umpire for this regional.

Wartburg Kirchdorf join winners from the Ugu and Sisonke Regional, King Edward, Ferrum Skool (Newcastle), St Anne’s College (PMB North), St John’s DSG (PMB Central), Amanzimtoti High School (Durban South), Our Lady of Fatima (Durban North) and Durban Girls College (Durban Central). The remaining two regionals are to be played later this month.

The Grand Finals takes place at St Mary’s DSG on 28 and 29 July.

For more info like the Facebook page.

Results:

1 Wartburg Kirchdorf, 2Wembley College, 3 Greytown High School,  4 Deutsche Schule Hermannsburg, 5 Domino Servite.

21st anniversary of The Route of the Prince Impérial, Louis Napoleon, A Franco-Zulu Cultural Celebration and Commemoration

This year marks the 21st Anniversary of the establishment of La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon (The Route of the Prince Impérial, Louis Napoleon), a bold tourism initiative that follows the scenic pilgrimage route through KwaZulu-Natal, taken by a mother in mourning as she followed the footsteps of her son to where he was killed during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. 

The Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon was killed in an ambush at uQweqwe, near Nqutu, on 1 June 1879. The following year on the anniversary of his death, his mother, the Empress Eugenie, spent the night in vigil at the very spot, which is now marked as a monument to him.

Who would have thought that 138 years later, the monument would play an important role driving a small, but vital tourism injection into the community at uQweqwe.

This year, the Alliance Francaise, Pietermaritzburg and the French Presence in KwaZulu-Natal cultural tourism research development project, present a programme of engaging activities with a number of partners during the month of May – Africa month. Both associations play a valuable networking function in connecting France, Reunion Island and other Francophone countries with South Africa.

Early May sees a call to action for people to support Art in the Park. The Pietermaritzburg Amateur Music Society then sets the tone for French week with its Musique Sacrée concert of French Sacred music at the Lutheran Church, Hayfields at 14H30 Sunday 21 May 2017.

A week later, on The Midlands Amble, a Sunday gathering at Albert Falls commemorates the first night’s “camp” of the Empress Eugénie, when she came on her sorrowful pilgrimage.

On Monday May 28, a guided visit to the Msunduzi Museum will see a programme of school activities which includes a history presentation on the Anglo-Zulu war as well as readings and worksheets on related topics.

The Empress Eugénie and The Prince Imperial wines produced by Domaine des Dieux ofthe Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in Hermanus are celebrated during this week, and on Africa Day, Wednesday May 31 at 13H00, the annual Prince Imperial lunchtime concert takes place at The Old Prison / Project Gateway in Pietermaritzburg. The concert features the Sobantu School Choir, the Sobantu acapella group, the dance performers from Chistlehurst Arts & Academics, as well as the Impisi Emnyama Zulu dancers, and Exquiniqué Fashion that will present its own unique brand!

That night a Franco-Italian pizza evening at Pizzology further celebrates the historical genealogy of the Bonapartes and the present day entente cordiale that exists in our country.

Dr Andrew-John Bethke will be giving a special anniversary organ recital at 19H00 in the Lutheran Church, Hayfields on Thursday evening 1 June - the commemoration day of the Prince’s death and the anniversary day of the Route.

On Friday 2 June, The Embassy of France, the French Institute, the Alliance and the Napoleon Foundation, Paris present a concert at the Tatham Art Gallery to celebrate local talent and welcome His Excellency the Ambassador of France, Mr Christophe Farnaud and other international guests.

The evening starts with the launch of the publication by Otterley Press of The French Prince: Tragedy to Transformation by Glenn Flanagan followed by the award ceremony of Les Palmes Académiques to Heather Peel, Head of French at Hilton College for her contribution to the teaching of French. A concert follows featuring Sandile Mabaso, a celebrated opera singer from KwaZulu Natal, the Sobantu Secondary School isiscathamiya performers, the Impisi Emnyama Zulu Dancers and the Chistlehurst Academics and Arts Dance group, who promise a finale with great French flair.

A memorial mass will be celebrated on June 3 at 09H30 at the Allard House Chapel, KZN’s first Roman Catholic Church (built in 1852) performed in association with the memorial mass in the Imperial Chapel in Biarritz, France. Well known choral leader Michael Lambert, will be directing the Scola Musicae Sanctae choir.

Following this mass the dignitaries will depart for Dundee along the Prince Imperial Route pausing for tea with the French Augustinian Sisters in Pomeroy, culminating in a French soirée at Elisabeth Durham’s Chez Nous B ‘n B in Dundee. At the soirée the convener and project leader of La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon, Glenn Flanagan will present a visual résumé of highlights of the past 21 years of Route development.

The next day the delegation will visit the Jojosini Primary School in the community where the monument is situated, to inspect the sponsorship of rain tanks and library donated by Panteix /Antalis and local donors.

The ceremony to commemorate the 138th anniversary of the death of the Prince begins at 10H15.

The Ambassador of France will lay a wreath on the Prince Imperial memorial; inkosi Mdlalose and Induna Mbatha will lay wreathes on the tombs of Trooper Abel and Trooper Rogers and Gugu Buthelezi (voluntary site guide) will lay a wreathe for the nameless Zulu guide killed in the same ambush on 1 June 1879.

After the ceremonies, sporting events organized by Nathi Sibisi of the uQweqwe community will take place.

“We have an exciting line-up of Franco-Zulu related activities in Pietermaritzburg, in Dundee and the uQweqwe community during May and the first weekend in June,’ says Glenn Flanagan. “We welcome Francophiles and everyone who enjoys a slice of history, as well as those who are keen to experience the value of creating and developing fascinating historical and cultural links between different cultures and how this can benefit our communities – both rural and urban.”

The 21st Anniversary celebrations of La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon is supported by the Embassy of France, the Alliance Française, TKZN, SA TOURISM, local municipalities, local tourism authorities and the Napoleon Foundation, Paris.

For the full programme go to the Facebook Page: French Presence in KZN: La Route du Prince Impérial, Louis Napoléon.

Durban dancer, choreographer, and arts activist receives a coveted Ordre des arts et des Lettres from the French Government

In a glamorous event hosted at Durban’s Alliance Française on Tuesday 25 April, Durban’s Lliane Loots was awarded the honour of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order of Arts and Letter  by the Ambassador of France to South Africa, Mr Christophe Farnaud.

In a moving acknowledgement and celebration of Loots lifes work in growing, making and supporting dance in South Africa, and in conjunction with the support she has offed to French artists visiting and working in South Africa, this Knighthood was gently and beautifully bestowed by Ambassador Farnaud on his very first visit to Durban.

The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is a medal of honour that is bestowed by the French government in recognition of significant contributions to the arts and the propagation of the arts and in significant connection to also enriching the French cultural inheritance. It is an award that was established in 1957 by the French government and, in 2017 three South African – all in the dance sector - will be receiving it; Lliane Loots, Gregory Maqoma and Georgina Thompson.

Loots presently holds the positions of Dance Lecturer in the Drama and Performance Studies Programme at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College Campus). She has a Master’s degree in Gender Studies and is presently completing her PhD looking at contemporary dance histories on the African continent. She is delighted to hold the founding position of Artistic Director for the Centre for Creative Arts’s annual JOMBA! Contemporary Dance Experience (a festival that will make its historic 20th edition in 2018). She has also recently been invited onto the Grahamstown National Arts Festival’s Artistic Committee (for dance).

Loots founded FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY as a professional dance company in 2003 when it grew out of a dance training programme that originally began in 1995. As the artistic director and resident choreographer for FLATFOOT DANCE COMPANY (now the longest surviving professional dance company in Durban), she has won numerous national choreographic awards and commissions and has travelled quite extensively in Europe, America and the African continent with her dance work. Loots and FLATFOOT are also known for the vast amount of youth dance education and development work done in KZN, and, through JOMBA!, for putting Durban on the global dance map. 

This award has honoured all of these divergent parts of Loots’s life as a cultural worker in Durban and her award was accompanied by support from the FLATFOOT company as they stood by her to receive the medal of honour.

European Film Festival 2017 in South Africa

European Film Festival 2017 in South Africa

Treat yourself to the best of European Cinema

The European Film Festival is back for the 4th time at Cinema Nouveau theatres in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban from 5 to 14 May.

The lineup of films represents 12 countries, including Ireland and Croatia for the first time. Each film reflects the skills and take on the world of filmmakers who are not limited by national borders. American Honey, an award-winning British-made road movie set in America’s mid-west, is as much a magical mystery tour into Americana as it is a coming-of-age drama. King of the Belgians is a comedic piece coming out of Belgium, which sees the Belgian king and his entourage crossing the Balkans in a madcap adventure, after learning of a coup back home. Acknowledged by the Rotterdam International Film Festival, this movie is a road trip with a difference, at once thoughtful, hilarious and wild.

Strike a Pose is a Dutch documentary exploration of “Madonna’s men”, the male dancers who served to consolidate the pop icon’s message and status as an outspoken advocate for LGBT-rights. This winner of a jury award at the Key West Film Festival is an unrelenting documentary which exposes new aspects of a well-known story. Germany’s Toni Erdmann is the outlandish tale of how the passing of a family dog sets off a series of events with a major impact on a father-daughter relationship. Touted as an academy award winner for best foreign film in 2017, this is a must see, by all accounts.

Festival Director Katarina Hedrén who returns as the curator for the second time is delighted with the pickings: “With this year’s selection which includes films of different genres, textures and moods, the aim is to entertain, amuse and offer opportunities for reflection, new discoveries and recognition,” she says. “The theme binding the films together is cinematic excellence through acclaimed and award-winning films from 12 European countries.”

The 2017 selection is a mixed pot in terms of film themes, which span from animal rights to family dynamics. Dramas and documentaries, comedies, tales of grief and a children’s adventure sit side by side on this eclectic and exciting programme. 

“The films are new, but the commitment remains the same: to offer audiences in South Africa an opportunity to experience acclaimed and award-winning European cinema,” adds Hedrén.

Motheo Matsau, Chief of Marketing and Sales at Ster-Kinekor Theatres, adds: “Our Nouveau cinemas are synonymous with the screening of the very best in art-house and foreign language films from across the globe, and the European Film Festival content certainly delivers on that promise.”

“European filmmaking has seen another year of highly creative output, and filmmakers continue to produce works that challenge and uproot. We are happy that Festival Director Katarina Hedrén’s 2017 film selection has given even more variety to the European Film Festival.”, says Norbert Spitz, Director of the Goethe-Institut, on behalf of the European partners.

The European Film Festival is coordinated by the Goethe-Institut South Africa, hosted by Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau, and organised in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to South Africa and 12 other European cultural agencies or embassies in South Africa: the General Representation of the Government of Flanders, the French Institute, the Italian Cultural Institute, the Camões Institute, the British Council, and the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. The European Film Festival is part of the EuropeFest, presenting in South Africa in May 2017 a diverse range of EU Member States cultural events.

For more information, visit www.eurofilmfest.co.za or join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook: #EuroFilmFestSA.

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April 2 is Autism Awareness Day: Pledge to be Non verbal

Action in Autism:

April 2 is Autism Awareness Day: Pledge to be Non verbal

People with autism experience difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction. Over 50 % of people with autism struggle with verbal communication and spoken language. For people who cannot express their basic needs or experiences in a way that the rest of the world understands, life can be isolating and extremely lonely. 

Action in Autism has committed to acknowledging World Autism Day on April 2 by asking people to make their pledge to be non-verbal for 2 hours – from 10am to 12pm. To respect, acknowledge and accept difference, the public is asked to join the organisation and thousands of our people with autism, and pledge to use an alternative means of communication – signs, gestures, pointing, typing or drawing – during this time. 

“The Action in Autism family will be at the Botanic Gardens in Durban from 10am to 12 noon on April 2, and we invite everyone interested to pack a picnic basket and blanket and join us,” says Chairperson of the organisation, Liza Aziz. “We invite people to be part of a meaningful activation that tangibly demonstrates that speaking is not the only form of communication. In this way we are able to honour those who experience their worlds and means of communication in a different way to most.”

Action in Autism, which does not receive any funding from government,  invites all people who would like to support the organization through cash or kind or through volunteering time. A fundraiser will be held on 22 April at 7pm at St. John’s Hall.  Tickets are only R80 and are available from their offices.  For more information about Action in Autism and the support to parents and families provided by the organisation, please call 031 207 4858 or email info@actioninautism.org.za.

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Interview with Captain of the Durban Girls’ College First X1 Hockey team, Lori Niemand

Captain of the Durban Girls’ College First X1 Hockey team, Lori Niemand, is looking forward to leading her team out onto the 3 Schools’ Trust Astroturf as they attempt to retain their Durban Central regional champion title in the SPAR KZN Schoolgirls’ Hockey Challenge on Sunday, March 26.

The DGC link, who lives in Durban North, has full colours for hockey and plays for KZN, seems to be as much at home on the turf, as she is in water, on stage and in the classroom. The busy 18 year old has received rewards for her efforts with special honours for synchronized swimming having competed for SA five times, half-honours for art and full honours for academics. 

Her passion for the game started when she began playing hockey in Grade R at DGC and says that the thing she most loves about hockey is “the close bond you form with your team members and the excitement of matches.”

With supportive parents, she has been able to pursue her many sporting interests. “My dad is such a good role model and sports idol,” she enthuses. “He has taught me to always be determined and to have a good work ethic. I really admire him for the effort and hard work he puts in to accomplish such a huge achievement of completing 21 Comrades. He continues to train despite the weather or the early mornings, he has showed me how to be motivated and that you can do anything you put your mind to.”

"My mother has always been there to support both me and my sister at every possible event,” says the sports star, whose sister, Tayla, was also captain of the 1st team at DGC in 2012, and “still plays hockey and is running in marathons.”

“Our coaches are amazing, and guide us so well and that helps create this bond within the team. They encourage us to play hard and do our best. And no matter what the outcome is, always show good sportsmanship.”

Niemand says that while art is her favourite subject, she hopes to become a chiropractor one day, and intends studying Chiropractics at Durban University of Technology when she leaves school.

With the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge coming up this weekend, the captain says “We always enjoy the SPAR tournament, and we all love those fabulous hampers. I’m really looking forward to the hockey season this year with my awesome team and coach, Ms Meek. Ashleigh Thomas (vice-captain) and I are very excited for the season ahead.”

With all these activities and commitments how does she manage. “My motto is “Keep it simple, but significant. And always remain humble”  and that helps a lot!”

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SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge Durban Central Regional 3 Schools Trust: Sunday 26 March

SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge

Durban Central Regional

3 Schools Trust: Sunday 26 March

The sixth regional of the SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge sees nine Durban Central Schools’ battling it out for the honours at the 3 Schools Trust Astroturf on Sunday, March 26,

Winners of last year’s central regional, Durban Girls’ College will no doubt be going all out to defend their title, having owned this space since the inaugral tournament in 2011 and have won gold in the Grand Finals three times in a row in 2013, 2014 and 2015, with two silvers in 2012 and 2016 and a bronze in 2011.

Joining them on the astro next Sunday will be Maris Stella, St Henry’s, Durban Girls’ High School, Hoërskool Port Natal, Inanda High School, the INK team, a combined team of players from the Inanda, KwaMashu Ntuzuma districtsand two newcomers to the tourney, Durban Girls Secondary and Rossburgh High.

The regional, which is hosted by Durban Girls’ High, will be played in two pools, with each game lasting 20 minutes.

“This is always an exciting regional to watch, as there are some strong teams with healthy competitive spirits determined to claim the title.” says Tournament Director Les Galloway.  “We are particularly pleased to welcome both the INK and Inanda teams back, and we welcome the Durban Girls’ Secondary and Rossburgh High teams to their first regional. This tournament is a fantastic example of how the enthusiasm of the game can spill over to other schools and encourage them to offer hockey as an extra-curricular sport and help to grow the sport.”

“We are always thrilledto welcome new blood to the tournaments, as it provides an opportunity for the teams to meet with new schools, new styles of playing and new challenges,” says Max Oliva, MD of SPAR KZN. “This tournament promises some exciting games, and if any of the other regionals are anything to go by, we are not only in for a fantastic sporting festival, but a wonderful opportunity to meet with like-minded sports lovers, and enjoy the social connections these tournaments offer.”

The winners of this regional will go through to the Grand Finals at St Mary’s DSG in July and will join Amanzimtoti winners of Durban South regional, St John’s DSG (Pietermaritzburg Central) and St Anne’s (Pietermaritzburg North), Ferrum (Northern KZN) and the winner of the Durban North regional which takes place at Crawford La Lucia on Saturday, March 25.

For more info like our Facebook page.

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Flatfoot Dance Company in association with The Playhouse Company presents SADHANA

Flatfoot Dance Company in association with The Playhouse Company presents SADHANA
23 – 26 March 2017
Drama Theatre – Playhouse Complex
 
 
The Flatfoot Dance Company presents Sadhana at the Drama Theatre, Playhouse from March 23 to 26.
 
This newest offering from the same acclaimed team that brought the award winning Bhakti to Durban is choreographed by Lliane Loots, who once again, steps boldly into Eastern mystical philosophy and its confluence with African rhythms and dance, to create a dance theatre feast for the senses.
 
 “it is a rare and very precious moment for me to make dance work that allows for a more inward and contemplative artistic journey,” says Loots, “and so I am relishing this creative process that allows me to collaborate with Durban’s finest dance and musical talent. The very make-up of the cast of dancers and musicians tells a story of multiple histories and identities and so the chance to explore what being South African means to all of us in our own divergent artistic ways, is the very fabric of Sadhana.”
 
Loots joins forces with the six Flatfoot Dance Company dancers, Sifiso Khumalo, Tshediso Kabulu, Mthoko Mkhwanazi, Jabu Siphika, Kim Mccusker-Bartlett and Zinhle Nzama, who bring their own brand of contemporary African dance that is seeing this company being invited all over the world. For Sadhana, they are joined by Kathak aficionado and master, Manesh Mahara, known for his intrepid Kathak solo work.  This is his third performance collaboration with Loots who says, “Manesh is probably one of South Africa’s finest dancers at the moment and both myself and Flatfoot have been graced to work collaboratively with him over the past 3 years. His ability to share his own Kathak style so generously with us and his ability to cross borders into contemporary dance, makes him the biggest jewel in the Sadhana ‘crown’. Sometimes, in rehearsal, I get so mesmerised by his beauty as a dancer that I completely forget my role as choreographer!”
 
Sadhana is a Sanskrit word that means (in loose translation) a journey towards enlightenment that honours both intellectual, emotional and spiritual seeking. Sadhana is a term rooted in Eastern mystical philosophy and Loots, as choreographer, comes to this to encompass a type of journeying we all do as South Africans as we fight for memory and the promises of our own ‘enlightenment’. Sadhana is about what we are prepared to shed in our own voyages to decolonising both the mind and body. Politically powerful and deeply beautiful to watch.

It works on a kind of fusion/trans-cultural dance language that uses the rhythms of classical Indian dance styles (specifically Kathak) overlaid on the African contemporary dancing body – be these ballet or contemporary trained. The work itself has the aesthetics of a long pilgrimage that is taken by both dancer and audience as we journey into the heart of what defines us as African – as both social and spiritual beings.
 
Stalwart South African musician Madala Kunene whose unique African guitar rhythms set up the sound score of the work, integral to the piece . He is accompanied by djembe drummer Mandla Matsha and tabla player Revash Dookhi.
 
Filmmaker and long-time collaborator with Loots and Flatfoot, Karen Logan creates the video installations for Sadhana and continues her keen attention to creating insightful and visually beautiful landscapes that echo Loots’s choreographic visions.
 
Lighting is by award winning designer Wesley Maherry whose creations have found a base in Flatfoot’s work over the past 14 years.  
 
Sadhana runs as an ‘in association production’ with the Playhouse Company from 23 to 25 March at 7.30pm and on 26 March at 3pm at the Drama Theatre (Playhouse Complex). Tickets are R85, with students, scholars, pensioners at R65, and can be purchased through Computicket.

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SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge Northern KZN Regional: Pongola, Saturday 25 February

SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge

Northern KZN Regional: Pongola, Saturday 25 February

The SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge moves north this weekend when the first regional of the seventh annual tournament takes place in Pongola on Saturday, February 25.

Hosted for the second time by Pongola Akademie, the regionals sees nine first team girls’ schools battling it out for the prized title in what promises to be a strong regional. Schools participating including defending champions Sarel Cilliers (Glencoe, Umzinyathi), Newcastle High School, Ferrum High School and St Dominics also from Newcastle, Utrecht High School, Dundee High School, Vryheid High School, Pionier High School (Vryheid) and Pongola Akademie. 

Defending champions Sarel Cilliers, who made their maiden appearance at the finals in Durban last year, having scooped the honours from five times northern regional champions Ferrum High, will no doubt be determined to hold onto their title, with Ferrum eager to claim it back.

Twenty-five minute games with two pools will be played on two fields with the winners of the pools going into a semi-final format. In Pool A are Pionier, Ferrum; Vryheid, Sarel Cilliers and Newcastle, and in Pool B Utrecht, Dundee, Pongola and St Dominics.

The tournament not only aims to support the development of the players, but also that of the umpires. Each school brings their best umpire to represent them on the day and at the end of each regional, one umpire is recognized as the “Most Promising Umpire”.

“Seven years down the line, and we continue to enjoy watching the impact that this tournament has on developing the game in the province,” says Tournament Director, Les Galloway. “There is definitely an increased interest in the game not only from the players perspective but also from the schools and the supporters point of view. We have seen more astroturfs being installed in the province, and a growing spectator base – all boding well for the increased support on all levels for the game.”

New Managing Director for SPAR KZN, Max Oliva said, “With this being the first tournament of my tenure as M.D, I look forward to the fantastic hockey that will be on display throughout the respective tournaments. We are proud to be associated with our sponsorship of girls hockey within our province and these events have grown into something we are particularly proud of. At SPAR we encourage our customers to enjoy a healthy lifestyle, so what better way to do this than providing a platform for a competitive yet super-friendly sporting engagement. We wish all our competitors and their supporters a great day on and off the field.”

Winners of the Northern KZN Regional will participate in the Grand Finals of the SPAR KZN School Girls Hockey Challenge that takes place at St Mary’s DSG over the weekend of 28 and 29 July.

For more info like the Facebook page.

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South African film, The Wound to open the Panorama programme of the Berlin International Film Festival

South African film, The Wound to open the Panorama programme of the Berlin International Film Festival

South Africa / Germany / Netherlands / France

By John Trengove

European premiere

Just after celebrating its selection to have its world premiere in competition at the Sundance Film festival in the USA, the film-makers of the South African film The Wound, have received news that the film has been selected to open the Berlin International Film Festival’s Panorama section in February 2017.

Produced by Urucu Media, directed by John Trengove and co-written by Trengove, Thando Mgqolozana and Malusi Bengu , The Wound stars multi-talented musician and novelist, Nakhane Touré in his acting debut, with Bongile Mantsai and Niza Jay Ncoyini.

The Wound tells the story Xolani, a lonely Xhosa factory worker who joins the men of his community in the mountains of the Eastern Cape to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood. When a defiant initiate from the city discovers his best kept secret, Xolani's entire existence begins to unravel.

Speaking from Cape Town, producer Elias Ribeiro said “We could not have wished for a stronger start for The Wound. We will have the spotlight in the two top festivals in North America and Europe, and that bodes well for its future, as Pyramide, our International Sales Agents will be representing the film at their booth inside the European Film Market in Berlin in February.”

The Berlin International Film Festival website describes the Panorama programme as a showcase of “new films by renowned directors, debut films and new discoveries. The selection of films provides insight on new directions in art house cinema. Traditionally, Auteur Films – movies with an individual signature – form the heart of the programme, and aims to take quality independent film out of its niche into the spotlight of the international market.”

“The fabrication of masculinity has long been a consistent theme in Panorama,” said the statement from the festival. “Producer Elias Ribeiro previously delighted festival audiences in Panorama 2015 with Necktie Youth.”

John Trengove commented: “I was interested in what happens when groups of men come together and organize themselves outside of society and the codes of their everyday lives. I wanted to show the intense emotional and physical exchanges that are possible in these spaces and how repressing strong feelings leads to a kind of toxicity and violence. As an outsider to this culture, it was important that I approach this story from the perspective of characters who are themselves outsiders, who struggle to conform to the status quo of which they are part.”

The Wound is a co-production between South Africa, Germany, The Netherlands and France and was shot on location in the northern region of South Africa. The film was developed with the assistance of The Hubert Bals Fund and ARTE International Prize. The Department of Trade and Industry and The National Film and Video Foundationas well as The World Cinema Fund supported production and the film pre-sold to broadcasters ARTE France and ZDF in Germany. The film’s intended release in South Africa is July 2017.

For more information about The Wound, visit www.urucumedia.com/thewound

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Sharlene Versfeld

Versfeld & Associates

Public Relations and Communications

Email: sharlene@versfeld.co.za

Twitter: sharlvers

Website: www.versfeld.co.za

Memorial for award-winning Durban filmmaker Junaid Ahmed - December 14 at 7pm

Memorial for award-winning

Durban filmmaker Junaid Ahmed

The family and friends of the award-wining Durban film-maker Junaid Ahmed who passed away on November 1 this year, extend a warm invitation to all who knew him to join them in a celebration of his life at the Suncoast Cinecentre on Wednesday, December 14 at 7pm. 

Born in Durban in 1959 Junaid went to Southlands High School and graduated from the University of Durban Westville in the 1980’s with BA (Honours) degree in Drama.

Junaid’s passion was always in the creative industries and he had a varied and prolific career in the arts.  He produced, workshopped, acted in and directed many theatre productions at various community venues including the Asoka Theatre, the Market Theatre and at the National Arts Arts Festival. He also wrote and directed the acclaimed musical, Bombay Crush, which starred well-known SA actress Kajal Bagwandeen.

A former board member of the National Interim Film Fund Board (now the National Film and Video Foundation), the international award winning director and producer also had a string of successful film projects to his name. His short film highlights include directing The Vow for Miramax and Channel 4 Films. He also produced the short film Lucky, which was screened at over 80 international festivals in 2006 and was nominated for the 2006 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Best Short film award, and it won Best Short Film at over 40 international film festivals.

He directed the feature film More Than Just A Game for which Sony Pictures International (SPI) acquired the international distribution rights and was broadcast in over 40 countries. Together with Helena Spring, Junaid was, at the time of his death, producing a slate of nine films supported by the NFVF. The first of these - Hard To Get opened the 2014 Durban International Film Festival, and was released in cinemas later that year. Then in February this year their co-produced film Happiness is a Four Letter Word  (with Khanyi Mbau, Renate Stuurman and Mmabatho Montsho in lead roles) was the best performing film of all new releases, in South Africa on its opening weekend. They were currently working on their next film Keeping up with the Kandasamys directed by Durban’s Jayan Moodley, which is in post-production.

Prior to his filmmaking career, he spent ten years as the secretary general of the Congress of South African Writers (COSAW) for some time, he edited poetry anthologies and his articles on arts and culture related issues were published in a number of international publications. 

He is survived by his wife Liza, sons Tariq and Jarred and daughter Taegen.

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