Third instalment for 21 Icons

Parkhurst – The launch of the highly-anticipated third season of 21 Icons was hosted at the hip coffee shop, Urban Grind Roasters in Parkhurst, and got everybody itching to see the latest instalment.

August 25, 2015

Victoria Taylor 1 minute read

Photo: Supplied BEAMING: Miles Bhana of Mercedes Benz Sout Africa with Gary van Wyk and Jes Foord, who apears in the third season of 21 Icons.

21 Icons is the brainchild of photographer and filmmaker Adrian Steirn, an Australian living in South Africa.

“21 Icons was all about celebrating South Africa in the now, beyond the narrative of just one man, obviously Nelson Mandela. As an Australian living here I’ve experienced just incredible people and I wanted to showcase this back to the world because all I heard was negativity. And this was a focus on the positive,” explained Steirn.

What started out as a series of black and white portraits, followed by personal interviews edited into short films inspired by Mandela, has now become a book and TV series. Now in its third season, the short-film series will reveal the next generation, 21 young South Africans who are considered to be inspirational, leaders and role models in the country.

Local photographer Gary van Wyk has stepped up as the principal photographer for this season, and has put his distinctive creative spin on the project. “For me to be part of something this big as a young South African, was something that I could not have imagined,” said Van Wyk.

At the launch, Steirn explained that the portraits were shot in colour this year, stepping away from black and white. “The whole production is something South Africa can be very proud of … the people involved, the people photographing it, because we have a future,” said Steirn.

“We have a present and we have a future in this country.”

Much like the previous seasons which featured prominent citizens such as Desmond Tutu, Hugh Masekela, Mandela and more, viewers can expect to get personal with newbies such as performance artist Anthi-Patra Ruga, rape survivor and gender activist Jes Foord, Paralympic wheelchair tennis player Lucas Sithole, and many more inspirational people living in our country.

Take a sneak peak at the new season of 21 Icons …