BAKGAT! AND ON TOP OF THE WORLD!
By Daniel Dercksen

26-year-old filmmaker Henk Pretorius' life is really Bakgat! As the writer-and director of the first Afrikaans feature film primarily produced for a youth market he is feeling on top of the world with his debut film distributed nationwide in South Africa and placing him way ahead of his peers.

Reflecting the trials and tribulations of a group of privileged school kids at a posh Afrikaans school with a sincere and heartfelt honesty, Bakgat! offers buckets of fun and first rate entertainment; it's a feel good film that everyone can enjoy.

South African films have most definitely come of age, with films like Confessions of A Gambler, Ouma se Slim Kind, Son of Man and now Bakgat! celebrating its own unique identity.
For Pretorius "The rules of making films for the Afrikaans market is the same as making films for any other market."

"You have to respect your audience and really know them," he says. 

"My first language is Afrikaans and I went to High Waterkloof, so I had a very good understanding of my market. The more specific you are with detail in your film, the more accessible the film will be for your market," says Pretorius who received great feedback from Indian, Zulu and Xhosa audiences during their test screenings.

Pretorius is equally excited about the spate of South African films that are released this year.

"Imagine the day South African films can tell Hollywood films to step aside, because they are grossing more at the box!," he says optimistically.

"I knew when I was grade one that I am always going to write, never mind what I officially do as a profession," says Pretorius, who wrote his first book in grade one. He matriculated from Hoërskool Waterkloof in 2000 and studied at AFDA directly after school.

His flair for directing was sparked at film school and at the age of 19 began his directing career.

"I discovered that channelling and guiding talent came very natural to me," says Pretorius.
"I never really knew until I did it, but when I did it, I knew that I am going to do it for the rest of my life," he says.  

The desire grew stronger during his years as a film student, and turned into an obsession.

"It was all I could think and talk about. I think I drove my friends and family mad," he confesses.

"It's a  strange thing this film business,  everybody is always talking about making it and people always think of it as this mountain of luck of some sort. But all it really is a whole lot of focused hard worked, backed with game plan and a dedicated team and you can do it."

How does he feel about being in his mid-twenties and writing and directing his first feature film?

"I never look at myself as a certain age. I look at myself as someone who read X amount of books and have seen X amount of movies and have had X amount of consciousness experiences. When you add them all together, age becomes irrelevant. And I have read, seen and experienced enough to have an exceeding hairline to show for it!"

When he started writing Bakgat! "the early drafts were about an ordinary guy like me, who sets out to do the seemingly impossible."

"It changed a whole lot of times in the sixteen rewrites, but that was the original idea or inspiration I wanted to be translated to the screen," he says.

"With this movie I wanted bring across a universal theme in Afrikaans," says Pretorius.

"We basically wanted to make a Hollywood-type movie in Afrikaans. Each character in Bakgat! is someone that the audience can relate to. The story takes place in high school and the search for individuality and identity becomes a relevant theme. I wanted to make a movie that everyone can enjoy, understand and identify with."

An advantage for Pretorius was that he directed 15 stageplays during his years as film student and as himself acted in various soaps and television series such as Egoli, 7de Laan, One Way and Ietermagö; he used this well in getting the most out of his young actors in Bakgat!

Pretorius and Bester cast the film before they approached the investors and allowed the actors to give their input in developing the screenplay during the arduous six month rehearsal period.

"Some of the actors had so much faith in the project that they actually invested in it. This was the biggest compliment that anyone has ever given me and I promised myself that I would do anything in my power to make Bakgat! a success."

Talking about his experiences changing his words into action and getting his film on the big screen, Pretorius states that "It was more difficult than doing anything I have ever done and less difficult than I imagine it to be."

"We put a whole lot of pressure on ourselves to make Bakgat!" he says.

"We planned it well and got the right team in for the job. I rehearsed well in advance with the actors and worked out a shot list. But it's like the producer, Danie Bester, told me, nothing you say can prepare you for making a film. There's always obstacles and stuff that you have to deal with. Luckily I had a great and dedicated team and our plan and script was solid, so we always had a blue print to work from."

"After shooting the first scene of Bakgat!, I suddenly realized that this project no longer belongs to only me," says Pretorius. "I was sharing an idea that formed in my head ages ago with a whole group of actors and a production team. My story was suddenly everyone's story. It's such a privilege to be the captain of such an enormous and important creative ship."

Does he have any advice for aspirant screenwriters?

"All great scripts get made. Keep writing and working on your skills,' he says.

"I have a feeling that it will blossom in the next five to ten years," he says when discussing his views on the future of the film industry in South Africa.

"We have a lot of talent in this country and the world is very curious about what's going on in SA. I hope... else we tell them good stories and they will get curious."

His recipe for success is "Thinking both in and out the box.".

"Never take your talent for granted, always nurture it with skill," he says.

"Work really hard and always remember Film Business is two words. The one means creative and the other means target market. Think of both, when writing your killer script and good luck! "

"I started dreaming about making a movie about ten years ago, when I was in standard eight. At the time, I had no idea how to make this dream a reality. All I knew was that I wanted to create something that would make people believe in magic," he says.

"I was unemployed for a whole year after school and my goal became an obsession. I wrote two movies, neither of which was ever made. My obsession finally became a reality when Danie and I started working on Bakgat! I started working on the first draft of Bakgat! three years after I completed my degree. Bakgat! was made possible through a group of brilliant actors, a passionate production team and a loyal Afrikaans audience. Today I believe that anyone can achieve anything if they really, really want it. Magic!"

Pretorius is motivated "to give people hope."

"I believe that great stories give people hope and hope is the antidote for cynicism," says Pretorius, who is inspired by "great movies, lovely songs, nature, random acts of kindness," and his mentors Justin Strydom, Deon Opperman, Anton Basson and Cobus Ressouw JR.

He sees his role as filmmaker "to create commercially successful films to establish investor's confidence that will give hope and speak to all South Africans."

"Bakgat! is exactly what I hoped it would be, and so much more! I'm really proud of everyone who helped in making it a reality. I'm positive that this movie will be a landmark in the local film industry!"

Copyright © 2008 Daniel Dercksen (Published with permission the The Good Weekend Argus - April 12, 2008)

DANIEL DERCKSEN TALKS TO HENK PRETORIUS ABOUT BAKGAT

YOU MUST FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE REVIVAL OF AFIKAANS FILMS IN SOUTH AFRICA?
I am very excited about all the films that come out. I saw there is two other South African films releasing in the same month as Bakgat! That's absolutely great and I wish them the best of luck. Imagine the day South African films can tell Hollywood films to step aside, because they are grossing more at the box!

WOULD LIKE YOUR COMMENT SPECIFICALLY ON THE REVIVAL OF AFRIKAANS FILMS? YOUR VIEWS ON MAKING FILMS FOR THE AFRIKAANS MARKET?
The rules of making films for the Afrikaans market is the same as making films for any other market: You have to respect your audience and really know them. My first language is Afrikaans and I went to High Waterkloof, so I had a very good understanding of my market. The more specific you are with detail in your film, the more accessible the film will be for your market. Bakgat was made in Afrikaans; I added a universal theme in the structure to make it accessible for a bigger audience. Our tests screenings at Ster Kinekor went really well and we got great feedback from Indian, Xhosa, Zulu, etc. people.

YOU ARE IN YOUR 20S AND HAVE WRITTEN AND DIRECTED YOUR FIRST FEATURE FILM TO RECEIVE NATIONWIDE DISTRIBUTION THROUGH ONE OF OUR MAJOR DISTRIBUTORS; HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS ACHIEVEMENT?
I never look at myself as a certain age. I look at myself as someone who read X amount of books and have seen X amount of movies and have had X amount of consciousness experiences. When you add them all together, age becomes irrelevant. And I have read, seen and experienced enough to have an exceeding hairline to show for it!

WHY DID YOU WRITE BAKGAT! WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION?
The early drafts were about an ordinary guy like me, who sets out to do the seemingly impossible. It changed a whole lot of times in the sixteen rewrites, but that was the original idea or inspiration I wanted to be translated to the screen.

IS THIS WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO DO?
I wrote my first book in grade one. It was about an elephant that lost his trunk and had to go all the way to the North Pole to eat a special worm in order to get a new trunk. The trunk less elephant ended up becoming friends with the worm and couldn't eat him. They needed each other to survived and journeyed together.
I wanted to make a film so badly that I lied awake for most of the nights after I left AFDA. It was all I could think and talk about. I think I drove my friends and family mad. It's a strange thing this film business, everybody is always talking about making it and people always think of it as this mountain of luck of some sort. But all it really is a whole lot of focused hard worked, backed with game plan and a dedicated team and you can do it.

WHERE DID IT ALL START?
In the room. From night to dawn. Alone. Almost like a scary movie, where the monster is your own doubt and the goal is to get through it alive... he he, bless the melodrama!

WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO BE A FILMMAKER? HOW OLD WERE YOU?
I knew when I was grade one that I am always going to write, never mind what I officially do as a profession. But I at first thought that I am going to be an actor from about standard six (13) In standard eight (17) I directed a play that was performed in front of the whole school. But it was only after school at AFDA that I discovered that channeling and guiding talent came very natural to me. And so I started directing officially at 19. So I never really knew until I did it, but when I did it, I knew that I am going to do it for the rest of my life.

YOU ARE ALSO A PLAYWRIGHT? TELL ME ABOUT IT?
It's cheaper to learn telling stories on stage. So that's where I honed my craft as storyteller. I wrote four full length plays, Beauty Stains, African Heroes, Mind Lies and Self-sexual faction (don't ask). I will never show anyone these plays, just like a sculpture won't show his first sculpture.

WAS IT A DIFFICULT PROCESS GETTING BAKGAT! FROM PAGE TO SCREEN?
Yes and no. It was more difficult than doing anything I have ever done and less difficult than I imagine it to be. We put a whole lot of pressure on ourselves to make Bakgat! look like a real movie. So we planned it well and got the right team in for the job. I rehearsed well in advance with the actors and worked out a shot list with the DOP. But it's like the producer, Danie Bester, told me, nothing you say can prepare you for making a film. There's always obstacles and stuff that you have to deal with. Luckily I had a great and dedicated team and our plan and script was solid, so we always had a blue print to work from.

ANY ADVICE FOR SCREENWRITERS WHO WANT TO TURN THEIR WORDS INTO ACTION?
All great scripts get made. Keep writing and working on your skills.

YOUR VIEWS ON THE FUTURE OF THE FILM INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA?
I have a feeling that it will blossom in the next five to ten years. We have a lot of talent in this country and the world is very curious about what's going on in SA. I hope... else we tell them good stories and they will get curious.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE AUDIENCES WILL GET FROM WATCHING BAKGAT!
That warm fuzzy feeling you get, when you walk out of the cinema after you saw something you really enjoyed.

WHAT IS YOUR RECIPE FOR SUCCESS?
Thinking both in and out the box. Never take your talent for granted, always nurture it with skill. Work really hard and always remember Film Business is two words. The one means creative and the other means target market. Think of both, when writing your killer script and good luck!

WHAT MOTIVATES AND INSPIRES YOU AND WHY?
To give people hope. I believe that great stories give people hope and hope is the antidote for civism. Great movies inspire me. Lovely songs. Nature. Random acts of kindness. My mentors, Justin Strydom, Deon Opperman, Anton Basson and recently I added Cobus Ressouw JR. And the love for people and what I do.

HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR ROLE AS FILMMAKER?
My job is to create commercially successful films to establish investor's confidence that will give hope and speak to all South Africans.

HENK PRETORIUS TALKS ABOUT BAKGAT 2

Copyright © 2008 Daniel Dercksen

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