Gay beginnings for local director
NORTHCLIFF – A production student in Northcliff takes on sexual stereotypes with the film, 'Koeksister'.
A koeksister is a very sweet, plaited, doughnut-like, pastry dipped in syrup. It is also a euphemism in South Africa for being lesbian.
Northcliff local, Leanne Kahn writes and directs Koeksister, a film that she and fellow AFDA School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance students have taken on to confront sexual stereotypes.
Koeksister is a comedy about Charlene, a lesbian girl struggling to confront her strict, conservative, Afrikaans family. When she brings home her black ‘boyfriend’ to discourage her racist parents from pressuring her to date, she is surprised to find how enthusiastic they are about her new relationship.
“The reason I want to make this film is because I know what it is like to be rejected for my sexuality,” said Kahn, “In 2008, at age 14, I told my mother that I was bisexual. The reason this topic excites me is because it is a story about prejudices in a family that has made it difficult for our protagonist to be herself around the people she loves.”
Kahn hopes that the film will empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, many of whom she said are still compromised in terms of their sexual identities.
“It’s been quite a journey,” recounted Xolani Mayekiso, the actor who plays Charlene’s eccentric boyfriend stand-in, Ayanda, “We’ve had some really fun rehearsals and it’s still going to get better.”
The production of Koeksister has been crowd-funded through Indiegogo but the crew is still searching for additional sponsors.
Shooting will begin on 12 September.
