Released on Box Office in May, the film Griekwastad – based on the Griekwastad murders – has nearly reached 100 000 views.
The film will be running until July 2 and features Arnold Vosloo as Dick de Waal and Alex van Dyk as Don Steenkamp.
On April 6, 2012, Deon Steenkamp (44), his wife Christel (43) and their teenage daughter Marthella (14) were murdered in the living room on their farm Naauwhoek in the Northern Cape.
ALSO READ:
Get your vote in for Mazibuko for Photographer of The Year
Fifteen-year-old Don Steenkamp had stormed into the Griekwastad police station just after dusk, his face, hands and shirt covered in blood. He told police that his family had been the victims of a farm murder, claiming he hid in the barn and returned to the house once the shooting stopped. His sister died in his arms.
But photographs of the scratch marks on his neck and his bloody, torn shirt served as evidence of his violent struggle with his sister, Marthella. Police detective Dick de Waal must relinquish his belief in the innocence of youth to solve a triple homicide on the Steenkamp farm.
Griekwastad, based on the bestselling true crime novel by Jacques Steenkamp, tells the tale of the search to find the truth about what happened that night.
ALSO READ:
Tembisa duo to release new EP mid-June
Vosloo is a well established actor, not only in South Africa but also overseas.
After moving to the United States, he appeared in Born In The RSA at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre and starred with Al Pacino and Sheryl Lee in a Circle In The Square Uptown production of Salome in 1992.
Equally at home on the television screen, Vosloo appeared in Jack Ryan with John Krasinski, The Blacklist with James Spader, Bosch and 24 with Kiefer Sutherland, American Gothic for Fox and Nash Bridges for CBS, among others.
Van Dyk, a Grade 11 learner at Durbanville High School, started his acting career in 2017 when he landed the role of Pieter in the film The Harvesters/Die Stropers (2018), directed by Ettiene Kallos.
He was nominated as best supporting actor in 2018 for his role as Pieter at the SAFTA Golden Horn awards and at Kyknet’s Silwerskerm Festival. In 2019 he was again nominated as Best Supporting Actor at the Silwerskerm Festival for his portrayal of Don Steenkamp in Griekwastad.
ALSO READ:
F-Stop’s winning pictures for May
At Silwerskerm 2019, He received recognition as one of the best upcoming actors in South Africa.
According to director Jozua Malherbe, this is a mystery film. A detective has to uncover and figure out a crime that has been committed.
“Although the story was widely written about, I want the audience to experience it as if for the first time, to feel a sense of immediacy, as if they too have to solve this puzzle.
“The characters are all based on real people and we wanted to respect that, to stay away from sensationalism and honour the truth. We referred to Jacques Steenkamp’s book about the murders as our backbone for the script and story.
“I spoke with many people who took part in the actual events, including Dick de Waal, the detective who solved the case and who we follow in the film.”
Audiences can expect to be surprised by what they see, and how the story is presented to them. This is not a horror show or a sensational exposé, but rather a meditation about a mystery and the people who were involved and affected by its consequences.
Also follow us on:
