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Top 5 South African Films Of 2012

Die Wonderwerker > A masterful Afrikaans film that speaks in any language. It is a sumptuous showcase of South African filmmaking and storytelling at its Oscar-worthy best; a culmination of the top (and astounding) talents the country has to offer: the vision and passion of director and storymaker Katinka Heyns, the insight and astuteness of storyteller Chris Barnard, the exceptional craftsmanship of cinematographer Koos Roets; the stirring music of composer Ben Ludik; the precision of editor Ronelle Loots; and the cream of South African performers. Read more

Lucky > The exquisitely crafted and skillfully made South African film Lucky will break your heart with its sincere honesty and heartfelt passion. In the tradition of other memorable local films like Beat The Drum, IZulu Lami, Themba: A Boy Called Hope and Roepman, the film tells its compelling story through the watchful eyes of a 10-year-old boy. Read more

Zama Zama > A refreshing new South African film that breaks away from worn-out conventions and tired clichés and goes underground. Writer-director Vickus Strijdom makes his impressive feature-film debut and is a young director to keep an eye on; with Zama Zama he does not exploit the explosive subject matter, but hinges his emotional loaded story on the Cain and Abel scenario. It's good to find that local films are breaking away from the 'lekker' and giving us films with bite that reflect humanity in South African with meaningful intent. Read more

Material > This truthful and outstanding local film is a wonderful example of what Proudly South African filmmaking and storytelling are all about.  Sincere in its telling and significant in its delivery, writer-director Craig Freimond and his team give us a passionate and endearing portrait of the Muslim community and life in South Africa. It is not a film about comedy, but uniquely explores the ability of humour as a potent and proficient weapon to break down conventional and conservative barriers and embrace cultural and social differences. Read more

Adventures in Zambezia > South Africa has not been a major contender internationally when it comes to 3D or animation films, but with Zambezia the world is going to keep an eye on the local animation front. Vibrant and sassy, with a childlike innocence, Zambezia is entertainment that soars. With Zambezia, Triggerfish Animation proves that South Africa can indeed break into the international arena and produce a well crafted proudly made local film. Read more

Co-productions

The commanding and emotionally charged A Million Colours clearly shows how we can never change the past, and how the memory of our lives plant the seed for a bright new future. There is an honesty in its telling and directed with passion, compassion and contemplation by New York-based director Peter Bishai (who was born in Canada and co-wrote the screenplay with producer Andre Pieterse), who shows that an outside point of view can make the world of difference in telling a story that could easily be clouded by personal or political motives. Read more

2012 - 2013 © Daniel Dercksen - Published with permission in the Cape Times, December 28, 2012

First South African film to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Film
Tsotsi Written and directed by Gavin Hood, and based on the novel by Athol Fugard, it marks the first South African film to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It traces the last six days in the lonely, violent life of a ruthless, young gang leader, who gradually rediscovers his humanity, dignity and capacity to love through having to take care of a baby accidentally kidnapped during a car hijacking.  Read more

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A Lucky Man is based upon the real life story of Ernie 'Lastig' Solomon, a legendary gangster from the violent and crime-ridden area known as the Cape Flats, a depressed peri-urban sprawl abutting the world-acclaimed city of Cape Town. Read more

A Million Colours A South African/Canadian Co-Production that was inspired by a true life story - that of Muntu Ndebele and Norman Knox (who starred in the classic 1976 South African film E'lollipop - one Of South Africa's Biggest Box-Office Hits Which Was Viewed In More Than 40 Countries).  Read More

Adopted A Mockumentary / Comedy that explores the hilarious lengths to which Pauly Shore (Son In Law; Pauly Shore Is Dead) will go to adopt a child during a trip to Africa.  Read More


The Adventures Of Supermama local writer-director-producer Karen Van Schalkwyk's delightful locally made short film that is currently in development as a full-length feature.. When a township Mama who works as a street vendor in down-town Johannesburg is robbed by three Tsotsis, she decides to take matters into her own hands.  Read More


U-Carmen-E-Khayelitsha (Carmen In Khayelitsha) A groundbreaking opera film - the first of its kind in Xhosa won the Golden Bear at the 19th Berlin Film Festival.  this gripping township version of Bizet's opera Carmen is set and mostly filmed in Khayelitsha. Read More  Interview with writer-director Mark Dornford-May


Bakgat The first Afrikaans feature film that was primarily produced for a youth market and broke box office records.  This contemporary Afrikaans teen movie is a fun exploration of the lives and times of a group of students in high school. In Afrikaans with English Subtitles Read More   Interview with filmmaker Henk Pretorius


Bakgat 2 The story continues two years later where Bakgat! left off - the group of friends have now left school and are at university. In Afrikaans with English Subtitles. Read More  Interview with filmmaker Henk Pretorius


Behind The Rainbow The documentary explores the transition of the ANC from a liberation organization into South Africa's ruling party, through the evolution of the relationship between two of its most prominent cadres, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma.  Read More


Big Fellas - Bee All You Wanna-Bee Two young guys, Zed And Jake, who have made a documentary expose about the modeling industry, go on a road trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg to close a deal to sell their film. There's one major problem - they need a BEE (Black Empowerment)  partner, and they need one fast. Read More   Interview with producer Ross Garland

The local comedy Blitz Patrollie is set in a poor white neighbourhood in Johannesburg where two policemen and their inept sniper colleagues accidentally stumble upon a massive drug haul. Read more

Born Into Struggle Filmmaker Rehad Desai takes on us an intimate journey mapped out by the scars etched into his family's life from having a father who was intensely involved in politics. Read more

Boy Called Twist Tim Greene captures the seedy individuals that survive on the streets of Cape Town as it shadows the timeless tale of Oliver Twist in its own inimitable style. Read More

Bunny Chow Directed by John Barker, and written by Barker and David Kibuuka, it follows the raucous and often ridiculous journey of three stand-up comedians as they make their way to a popular rock concert, Oppi Koppi.  Read More   Interview with John Barker

Cape Of Good Hope A gentle and heartwarming film, it uses a character driven portrayal of eight socially disparate, yet fatefully intertwined, people to subtly portray the generosity and joy, as well as the underlying racial and cultural prejudices, that permeate all aspects of life in the Cape.  Directed By Mark Bamford. Read more

Confessions Of A Gambler A haunting and captivating journey into the soul of a Muslim woman in South Africa. Set almost incongruously amidst the Muslim Community in Cape Town, it reaches into the depths of Muslim Culture and tells the story of Abeeda, a pious Muslim woman who also happens to be a gambling addict. Read More   Interview with writer-director Rayda Jacobs

Conversations On A Sunday Afternoon Matabane ingeniously uses non-fictional elements in the telling of a fictional story of Keniloe (a superb Tony Kgoroge) who searches for Fatima, a refugee he used to encounter each sunday at the park. Read More

Copposites When a freak medical accident swaps the bodies of a white cop and a black thief, learning to work together could prove hazardous to their health. Oliver Rodger's second feature film, Copposites, has something very familiar about it. Says Rodger: "I grew up in the eighties; in my opinion a decade of unparalleled all round entertainment. We had the best music, the best movies, the best wrestling, the best cars, the best clothes; Ok, I'll concede on the clothes but who wasn't rolling up their jacket sleeves and wishing they were Don Johnson."  Read more

Cosmic Africa A unique 72 minute high definition feature length documentary film that both explores and sheds new light on traditional African astronomy and in turn global understanding of the world's oldest science.  Read More

Die ongelooflike avonture van Hanna Hoekom An exceptional South African film that celebrates the art of World Cinema. Director Regardt van den Bergh's imaginative vision and screenwriter Gustav Kuhn inspiring adaptation of Marita van der Vyver's novel, showcases the unique talent of Anna Mart van der Merwe, newcomer Anneke Weidemann and Gys de Villiers.  Featuring sensational animation that underlines the fantasy aspect of the film, and a astounding music soundtrack, this is proudly South African filmmamking at its best.  It is the inspiring story of the rebirth of a family who escape into the rural countryside where they are stripped of technology and are forced to redeem their differences and undergo a spiritual transformation. In Afrikaans with English Subtitles. Read More   Interview with Regardt van den Bergh

Discreet In a society that promotes sexual promiscuity and where true honesty is a rare commodity, Monique and Thomas take the audience on a funny, poignant and brutal journey of self-examination. Read More  Interview with writer-director Joshua Rous

Dollars And White Pipes This rags to riches story follows Bernard Baaitjies's journey from the drug and gang culture to emotional and moral independence as he overcomes issues of race, education, addiction and racketeering and finally becomes a well respected and law abiding business entrepreneur - which he still is today. Read More

Drum A bewitchingly evocative chronicle of South Africa in the 1950s, Drum depicts the blithe interracial hedonism of Sophiatown as it becomes aware of the insidious escalation of Apartheid. Read The Director's Statement

Egoli From renowned producer and writer Franz Marx comes the big screen version of a hit local soapie, telling the thrilling story about deep and dark secrets from Niek (David Rees) and Joe's (Darren Kelkens) past. In Afrikaans with English Subtitles Read More  Interviews with producer Frans Marx, screenwriter Christo Compion and director Bromley Cawood

Ek Lief Jou It has been a while since the last time South African movie goers have seen a good romantic comedy. It is an irresistible comedy with popular singer Kurt Darren starring opposite Belgian actress Ilse De Vis. Christina Storm plays his greedy fiancée, leaving no stone unturned in the process to get all his money. Danie, his half brother (played by Andre Frauenstein) ensures for a lot of laughs in his constant struggle to get a date, and also making sure Lisa's life is a misery by playing idiotic pranks on her. There is nothing like a good romantic comedy to cure your cynicism when it comes to love and relationships. It Is Directed By Ate De Jong, Best Known For Successful Comedies Such As 'Drop Dead Fred'. In Afrikaans with English Subtitles Read More

Faith Like Potatoes  Frank Rautenbach leads a strong cast as Angus Buchan, a Zambian farmer of Scottish Heritage, who leaves his farm in the midst of political unrest and racially charged land reclaims and travels south with his family to start a better life in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.  Read An Interview With Frank Rautenbach  Read An Interview With Regardt Van Den Bergh

Faith's Corner Directed By Darrell James Roodt and Starring Leleti Khumalo, it follows Faith and her two young Sons Siyabonga and Lucky who live on the streets of modern day Johannesburg. With the little money she makes she tries to raise her children as best as she can though they often go to sleep hungry and scared. Faith must not only combat the apathy of the wealthy elite that pass her everyday but also the distrust and danger of the locals. Read More

Fanie Fourie's Lobola is a South African romantic comedy about an Afrikaans guy and a Zulu girl who fall in love and have to navigate their way through the complicated process of lobola - the traditional Zulu bride price. Read more

Finding Lenny This local comedy directed by Neal Sundstrom follows a series of misfortunes that befall its lead character, Lenny, (Played By Barry Hilton) and his triumphant return to happiness when circumstances (and soccer) collide to provide him with some interesting new options in life. Read More  Interview with writer-director Neal Sundstrom

The Flyer The uplifting story of a young coloured kid saved from the mean streets of Cape Town by an old trapeze great, and indoctrinated into a gravity-defying world - trapeze flying!  Read More

Footskating 101 Vince, a poor miner's son, sets out to save his small town from exploding, his family home from the government, and his granny's lungs, all by inventing the new extreme sport of foot skating... This is skateboarding for those who can't really afford a board. Read More  Interview with writer/co-director Brendan Jack

For Better For Worse the film, although funny, also celebrates the lives of South African Indians, their culture and lifestyle which is something that has hardly been tackled before. The City Of Durban within which the film is located is given ample exposure.  the intent of the producers was to make a stylish, slick product moving away from shoddy stereotyping and ghettoising of Indians. Read More

Forgiveness Giant Films and DV8 spent 2½ intensive years developing the script for Forgiveness over a number of drafts with writer, Greg Latter. Tertius Coetzee is the archetypal drifter and condemned outsider. He arrives in the small town of "Paternoster" on the South African Atlantic West Coast. His character is reminiscent of classical Western-themed anti-heroes: he's made his trip through Babylon and he's returned to repent in the hope of finding redemption. To do this he must come face-to-face with the family of Daniel Grootboom. "In this film, we take a non-manipulative, you might say necessary 3^rd world approach to camera, light and composition and storytelling - we promote the use of simple character and story development and avoid where we can, the use of artifice to heighten dramatic effect."  Read more

Getroud Met Rugby - Die Onvertelde Storie A spin off from the very popular and successful TV drama, the film is the "untold story" between season 2 and 3 and stands on its own legs independent of the series. It is the tale of two broken people (Izak Davel, Altus Theart), rugby players whose paths cross in order to find themselves. In Afrikaans with English Subtitles Read More  Interview with producer Bianca Isaac



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