Short doccies shine light on beauty of Germiston
“Due to the pandemic, I saw the golden opportunity to do what I always wanted to do, which is make a film which tells the stories of those staying in Primrose.”
Marland resident Nathaniel Sigamoney is shining a light on Germiston’s beauty through his short documentary about the city.
“I think Germiston has a lot to offer the film and TV industry when it comes to film locations. It is the most diverse area. We have old buildings from the ’50s and ’60s and even older standing next to new modern buildings and offices.
“I see panel beaters fixing vintage cars down the road from dealers selling the latest models. We have golden sand dunes from old mines that make perfect desert locations to our lush parks and lakes. The squatter camp in Primrose is five minutes away from the rich Bedfordview,” said Nathaniel.
He has for a while now been filming short documentaries about different organisations and the community of Germiston and also music videos at beautiful locations in the area.
He said he always wanted to give back to his community but never had the time.
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“Due to the pandemic, I saw the golden opportunity to do what I always wanted to do, which is make a film which tells the stories of those staying in Primrose. I wanted to show that it is not all doom and gloom,” said Nathaniel.
He said he has met amazing people who are proud and love their community.
“There are people who are fighting to keep the community free from crime and its associated effects. There are people who are looking after the vulnerable and we have local heroes. There are many stories that have yet to be told in Germiston – stories of hope, pain and triumph,” said Nathaniel.
He said he has been frustrated by Hollywood’s depiction of South Africa and he aims to change that.
“South Africa is depicted as a land of poverty, crime and the legacy of apartheid. They never seem to reflect South Africa’s beauty, its landscape, people and the people’s stories of overcoming personal challenges. By showcasing these stories people are encouraged to do and be better,” said Nathaniel.
“Germiston has amazing stories, you just have to dig deep and do the research. A town as old and diverse as Germiston has a story to be told,” said Nathaniel.
The filmmaker was not always in the film industry but his love for movies guided him to his current destination.
“I was in mining in 2010 and one day while underground I thought to myself there will be nothing to watch when I get home. Something inside me was awakened and so I quit the mining industry and decided to study film and TV production,” said Nathaniel.
He said his ultimate goal is to build a creative community in Primrose.
“God willing, I want to build a small film studio in the area to nurture film talent and create amazing films and documentaries that share our stories with the world. The first step is the community-inspired documentaries,” said Nathaniel.
He has done two documentaries: one on Germiston and Bedforview SPCA and the other on El Shammah Baby Home.
He said he finds people through research and others reach out to him.
“People just reached out to me on Facebook telling me who they are and what it is they do. If I feel what they are doing is a good cause and they could do with the exposure to grow or continue to do they work then I will partner with them to tell their story,” said Nathaniel.
He is completing a short documentary with the Primrose CPF.
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