Local Actress looks forward to the premiere of breakthrough role
ROBINDALE – Elani Dekker fell into the world of acting when she mistakenly auditioned for a three-year scholarship at the New York Film Academy while she was still in high school.
Lead actress in feature film Toorbos, Elani Dekker was 19 years old when she starred in her first lead role in a film.
At 22, the Robindale resident reflects on the challenge days before the film premieres to South African audiences. Born in Pretoria, Dekker moved to Robindale at the beginning of this year and looks forward to the fruits of her labour being shared with South Africans on 13 November.
Dekker fell into the world of acting when she mistakenly auditioned for a three-year scholarship at the New York Film Academy while she was still in high school. After she landed the scholarship, Dekker was offered an opportunity to join the academy’s summer school programme in her school holidays.
On the experience of what could be her breakthrough role in Toorbos, Dekker said the movie was ‘just amazing, dream movie, dream role’.
Dekker’s character is the main protagonist of the story which meant that she was in every scene of the movie, except one. After the experience, the actress found herself exhausted while simultaneously floored by the beauty of the location where the movie was shot, Knysna Forest. The challenge of the cold and life in the forest was severely outweighed by the magnitude of this role for Dekker.
Based on the books by Dalene Matthee, the fourth book of the series was brought to life and is one of the best final mix sound productions to grace South African screens, according to director René van Rooyen.
The movie was set to premiere at the beginning of this year, however, it was delayed due to Covid-19. In the midst of lockdown, Dekker has developed her passion for watercolour and ink art. She hopes to develop this passion into a business as well as another avenue to express her innate creativity.
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