SHORT DOCUMENTARIES
The Silwerskerm Short Documentary Project enables filmmakers to develop and produce short documentaries, telling real-life stories. This project was successful from the get-go and has grown quickly, enabling an entire new genre to find footing on the festival programme, with award categories recognising outstanding achievements.
Rooi van aard
GENRE: Human Interest
DIRECTOR: Niël Coetzee
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Xolani Innocent Nhlapo
CAST: Niël Coetzee, Anel Alexander, Anthea Pokroy, G.P. van Rheede van Oudtshoorn, Heidi Coetzee, Maude Sandham, Soné Roos, Tielman Roos
AGE RESTRICTION: 10-12 PG LP
Since childhood, Niël's red hair has been a source of embarrassment for him. So, he leaves the quiet, familiar world of L'Agulhas behind and embarks on a journey to Gauteng in search of other gingers. Along the way, he crosses paths with, among others, Anel Alexander (7de Laan, Semi-soet), Anthea Pokroy (of the I Collect Gingers photography project), entrepreneurs and an entire family of redheads. Amid laughter and discomfort, painful memories surface: from church camp bullies and a "photo day conspiracy" to all the little things that have always bothered him. Will Niël's quest help him escape his isolation and discover the beauty in red?
Die grond onthou
GENRE: Human Interest
DIRECTOR: Mia Cilliers
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Gray Kotzé
CAST: Sonia Roman, Kevin Maxwell, Victor 'Boy' Josephus, Nellie Nomdo, Jenny Wilson
PRODUCTION HOUSE: Reel Epics
AGE RESTRICTION: PG
Sonia Roman (77) is preparing to move to a new home in Protea Village, which is more than just a housing scheme for her. Protea Village represents justice for the deep pain she has carried since childhood, when her family – along with an entire coloured community – was forcibly relocated by the apartheid government from their lush paradise next to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens to Heideveld, a barren township on the Cape Flats. Sixty years and several court cases later, claimants like Sonia, Boy and Nellie have reclaimed their land. Together with their descendants, they are now moving to one of Cape Town's most affluent suburbs, Bishopscourt. However, Sonia and the others must navigate the complexity of a single land claim shared among several family members. The high property taxes in Bishopscourt are another challenge. Will they be able to afford to spend their final years there?
