Meet the crew of Beyond

Students who formed part of the Class of 2020 at the African Film and Drama Academy shot part of their final year film on the streets of Linden. The scene which transpired in the suburb was a recollection of a previous moment in time in the main protagonist’s journey before life in space.

Beyond follows the story of James, an astronaut stranded in space trying to make his way back home to his wife, Mia. In order to do this, he needs to find a signal to send out a distress message to receive rescue before a solar storm threatens to destroy his already compromised spaceship. He must outrun the storm in order to reach the safety of his rescuers beyond the storm’s path if he wants to preserve any chance of being rescued.

The sci-fi film heavy with video effects allows viewers to occupy a liminal space between reality and science fiction. During the crew’s initial brainstorming session, the crew was captured by the idea of space, however, they shelved the idea in favour of a horror film as it was easier to execute. In the development stages before film scripts were due, the crew decided to revert back to their original idea as the allure of space continued to draw them in.

The film airs at the AFDA Graduation Festival on 12 and 13 December and is a sci-fi film inspired by the idea of separation and the need for reconnection between two people, a subject which resonated strongly with the film’s writers.

Should Covid-19 regulations remain the same, there will be a physical screening of the project with limited seats available. The film will also be available online on AFDA’s student film’s webpage on the day of the festival. The availability of tickets will be announced in due course.

For more information, you can find the crew on their website www.standby.co.za or you can email them at info@standby.co.za. You can also visit the university’s website to find out about the event in general www.afda.co.za

Meet the crew of Beyond, students who formed part of the class of the AFDA Class of 2020. The film is their graduation film which will be the final mark for their degrees and features a scene shot on the streets of Linden. The film will be screened at the Graduation Festival on 12 and 13 December.