WATCH: Film set in Melville Koppies premiers in Rotterdam
RANDBURG – Hotele Lerallaneng will be premiering at the 50th International Film Festival in Rotterdam (IFFR) from 2 to 6 June.
Randburg’s own entrepreneurial filmmaker and storyteller Charlie Vundla’s new film Hotele Lerallaneng will be premiering at the 50th International Film Festival in Rotterdam (IFFR) from 2 to 6 June.
This introspective drama, set in the heart of Melville, goes in search of the most authentic expression of the deepest feelings and uncertainties.
With his keen eye for detail, honest characterisation and riveting storylines, Vundla skilfully draws the viewer into the lives of a group of young artists as they struggle with personal demons and questions of creativity, family and life in this new reality, while waiting out the pandemic in a beautiful hotel high in the Melville Koppies.
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The film stars Moopi Mothibeli and Zethu Dlomo-Mphahlele, as well as Zoe Mthiyane, Celeste Khumalo, Cameron Scott and Buntu Petse.
Vundla said, “The premiere at the film festival is an amazing validation of my film and our talented cast and crew. Hotele Lerallaneng is more than a film, it is a testament to the human spirit and a reflection on this time of stagnation.
We were able to turn the lens inwards, try something different and authentically portray the lives of black South African artists in a way that is not usually seen on screen.”
This is the third film Vundla has written and directed. His first, How to Steal 2 Million (2011), which starred Rapulana Seiphemo, Terry Pheto and the late Menzi Ngubane was met with critical acclaim and box office success. It won four Africa Movie Academy Awards including Best Film and Best Director and was an official selection at the Seattle International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest and the Pan African Film Festival where it was nominated for a Jury Award.
His second film, Cuckold (AKA The Tribe), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015 and met with success at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival where it was nominated for a Jury Award, and the Africa International Film Festival where it won the Best Actor Award.
