Daniel Dercksen shares a few thoughts with writer-director J.J. van Rensburg

Tell me about the challenges of thinking in Afrikaans, wiring in English and directing in Xhosa?
As first-time screen writer I had the interesting challenge of thinking in Afrikaans, writing in English but directing in Xhosa. I have learnt a tremendous amount from my language and cultural advisor who had to often point out small "no-no's" during the shoot. I speak under correction, but this must be one of, if not the first, original script Xhosa film to be made in South Africa. ("Carmen in Khayalitsha" is an adapted story)
The challenges included learning about the Xhosa traditions and norms, reading everything about amateur boxing rules, learning about stick fighting, keeping in mind the extremely tight budget and shoot schedule, considering my inexperienced actors and to get this all done in every free moment I had. I wrote the entire script, 118 pages and 87 scenes, in three weeks. And I did this while doing my normal daytime job as editor.

What does the film mean to you?
The original working title for the film was "The Stick" this was until I found out that there is already a film by that name in Zulu. What the film means to me can be better explained if I tell you where the idea came from. My younger partner made a documentary film in East London about the culture of boxing. In this film he did an interview with an old man who is a very successful trainer. During the interview he was asked about where his inspiration came from. He explained that he was a stick fighter in his younger days, and still use the techniques he learnt in the bush to train his young fighters. Bra Sam (who plays a trainer in the movie) is an exceptional character. He is about 72+ years old, is no taller than 5 foot 3, has a semi-hunchback and has trained more than 32 world champions in his career. Yet he is kept in the background by the promoters. His story inspired the writing on Intonga. What exactly the film means to me I will tell you towards the end…

Why did you write Intonga?
We have a small production/post-production company in Cape Town. After the umpteenth rejected proposal from the SABC, my partner and I were having a smoke in the garage (where sinners gather to practice their evil activities) and he suddenly turned to me and said "Let's make a feature film". That was all. He needed to say. For 16 years I have sat in audio studios listening to other people's bad sound tracks, then for another 10 years I had to try and take their badly thought out and shot material and cut it together to make a story that can sell. In between I have written small pieces of text for our company, a few training programs and odds and ends, but nothing that anybody ever took seriously. To begin with, we had no money, except for a few credit cards, and we had very little time. In other words, Intonga was written out of sheer desperation.

Was it a difficult process of writing the script, and then directing?
I guess I could tell you stories of suffering and writer block, of meticulous plotting and planning etc, but that would all be lies. I read one book on scriptwriting techniques (cannot even remember the title), learnt about trigger points and timing, I opened a new document in Final Draft and started writing. I woke up each morning at 04h00, made two cups of coffee while the computer started up, and wrote until 07h30 when I had to shower and leave for work. I edited programs for clients all day, got home at around 18h00, made food, fed and played with my dog for a while, then wrote until about 22h00. I never went back in the script, never deleted scenes and had to quickly find out how amateur boxing worked. The internet is great. About the Xhosa culture and tradition, I questioned my partner Bongo at work each day during smoke breaks. When I got to the final scenes, I started mailing PDF copies to my partners who seldom read any of it. I guess they did not take me seriously. Then one day I simply handed a printed copy over to Bongo and asked him to get it translated. Then all hell broke loose. WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE IT! But that is a whole other story that could be a movie in itself.
Directing came almost too easy. If I tell you that it took 2 ½ months from script to set it may sound ridiculous, how about if I tell you we shot 87 scenes on 14 locations with a cast of several hundreds with no money and a mainly inexperienced crew in 10.5 days? I suggest you watch the film before you judge it based on the stats above. I became friends with each and every cast and crew member, and we had the most incredibly wonderful time together. Then I edited the entire 120 minutes of the first cut together in less than 3 weeks. The rest (music, grading mixing) is yet again another incredible story.

How did the distribution with a major distributor like Nu Metro happen?
As I've said before, I was a sound engineer for 16 years and an editor for more than 10. I edited the movie together, laid some guide music, and did a fairly decent scratch mix. I handed the DVD over to my other partner, and said "Go sell it". He made an appointment with NuMetro and arrived there with nothing more that a DVD. The screening started on a laptop with horrible sound. The lady suddenly stopped the movie after the (emotional) opening and invited her partners to watch it with her in the auditorium. They could not believe that we pulled it off and immediately made us an offer. In fact they heard that I planned this from the onset as a 3-part series and offered to buy the rights to all there right there and then. I know, incredible again? That's it. I can tell you plenty of lies, but that's it.

How does it feel as a first-time writer-director to enter the arena of filmmaking?
There are only three ways; Luck, skill or money. I know that I'm not very lucky, otherwise I would have been born blond and beautiful, and we did not have any money, so it had to be skill I guess. 23 years of learning from other people how NOT to make films, and listening to all the excuses about why people do not make films was enough.

You say that it was challenging thinking in Afrikaans, writing in English and directing in Xhosa. Elaborate?
If you can understand Afrikaans, then translate the following sentence into English "Die hond loop onderdeur die tafel". Impossible? I can give you hundreds more examples, but the fact is that I was writing a script for an audience whose culture I did not grow up with. I grew up in an apartheid South Africa, fought as a 17 year old soldier on the border in and unjust war and now I am writing a film for Xhosa people. I had much to learn. A simple thing like a boy kissing a girl in the movie could not be done if there were any adults in the scene. The Xhosa tradition does not allow it. While I was directing, I had no clue as to when the actors had to laugh, cry, smile be angry etc. I could follow the words on paper, but had no idea what they were actually saying. I had to rely on my language advisor to give me the nod after each take. Yes, we did rehearsals when I explained to the actors what I wanted, but during the take I could only watch and trust. It was only after the first screening to a selected audience that I knew we had something here. Imagine how I had to concentrate to edit the film in Xhosa?

What do you hope audiences will get from watching the film?
Intonga is a simple story dealing with the universal struggle of young people to gain acceptance in their peer groups. There are tone of life-lessons throughout the film without trying to make it sound like a sermon. You can almost say it's a Walt Disney film made in Africa. No swearing, no politics, no religion and no one dies. Just a simple nice story. I hope that the audience will enjoy the story of our young man and his mother, the young people get inspired to realize they CAN achieve a goal if they want, and to showcase the incredible people and scenery we have in our country. Where else can you go and watch a film with so many true live legends like the WBF champion acting?

Your views on the industry in South Africa?
Simple. We are the smallest industry with the greatest potential on earth. Unfortunately, big business and government still does not see a film as collateral. They do not understand that it is an export item of great value, and therefore we, the independent filmmakers, have to struggle on our own. With Intonga we have scratched open another wound. No provision is made by our large theatre companies like NuMetro and Ster Kinekor to bring local films to the people. There are hardly any cinemas in the townships, and people have to travel far to see any films. How are we going to this film to the people for whom it was made? Mmm. I better stop here before I say too much.

Any advice/ tips for aspiring screenwriters and filmmakers?
For heavens sake, stop talking and planning and write/make that damn film. Here's news for you; YOU WILL NEVER MAKE THE PERFECT FILM! But each time you try, you will make a better one. Secondly, stop criticizing those who try, and begin supporting them. How many times have I wished that I could sit with a bunch of people and write? The problem is that each one try and out-do the next, instead of working together. Make it your principle that you will not criticize unless you are prepared to then go and make a better one. There are too many critics out there and not enough writers/filmmakers. Just do it.

Where did it all start for you, being a writer and filmmaker?
It started in a coalmine. Seriously. I was an apprentice electrician at Sasol's coalmine. After one year of dirty underground work, I enrolled for every course they had at the local college. I had to get out of there. I qualified myself in electronics, electro technology, strengths of materials and everything else I could force into my small brain. Then I became a master diver, a pilot, a yachtsman and tried every sport under the sun. All this while I was working for a small salary as an electrician at the SAB. I wanted to know it all. You can only write what's in your brain. I worked for a while at atomic energy board as video engineer, went freelance as soundman on set, moved into final mix studios, then to editing and all this time I made sure that I was on the forefront of developments in the industry. It is actually a long story but that is the basics.

Your future plans?
I live today, and I make sure that I enjoy, as far as possible, every day. Many people asked if I was looking forward to the premiere of Intonga, and my answer is that I enjoyed every moment that I worked on it. If I don't make it to the premiere, I have missed very little. I would like to make Intonga 2 this year, and another sweet story I am planning to write, but my ultimate goal is to go sailing. For the past 15 years I have been planning to go sailing, and as soon as I can, I will go. THIS LIFE IS NOT A REHEARSAL, THIS IS IT!

Any comments?
I hope I have answered your questions, but the story of the making of Intonga is a far bigger and fascinating one. Maybe one day you can buy me a beer and I'll tell you more. Earlier I promised I would tell you what the film means to me? I was on the plane back from JHB where Cedric Samson and I recorded the music for Intonga. It was a very emotional week; you will understand when you hear the amazing music, and at 32,000 feet above ground it fell on me like a ton of bricks. Intonga was my life story. My father died when I was young, my mother and I struggled to survive, I never made friends very easily and I too had to fight to gain my standing in society. Since then, I have seen Intonga in a completely different light, and I cannot help but to get emotional when I watch it. I am sure it is the story of many young men out there. So the final hint I can give aspirant writers, is that they must find a vehicle to tell their own stories. Write what you have experienced, and made every experience something to write about!

What do you hope to achieve with Intonga?
If anything, I hope this will inspire writers to get down to writing and not wait until they can write the perfect script. I am open to criticism from anyone, but consider this first; Feel free to criticise, then go ahead and write a better script.

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Copyright © 2009 Daniel Dercksen/ The Writing Studio