Sitting down with Oliver Hermanus
ROSEBANK – We chat to film director Oliver Hermanus about his latest feature film 'Moffie'.
Multi-award-winning film director Oliver Hermanus has given us another thought-provoking film.
The story of Moffie follows 18-year-old Nicholas van der Swart as he joins the South African army during the apartheid era, as was compulsory for young men at the time. However, Van der Swart had a hard time adjusting.
The film premiered at the 76th Venice Film Festival last year and film evoke much emotion as it tells a long-overdue story South Africa is meant to hear. It received a number of accolades overseas, such as The Guardian (www.theguardian.com/) newspaper grading it four out of five.
The film premiered in South Africa on 13 March in Rosebank. “The film is based on an autobiographical novel of the same name authored by André Carl van der Merwe. It’s inspiration was the shame and indoctrination. It is hard to be sure what meaning an audience will take. We only hope the film will stimulate conversation,” Hermanus explained.
Hermanus is working on a few new projects and describes himself as a storyteller, often giving a voice to the voiceless with his feature films. “I make films. It’s a creative process that allows me to step into the lives and experiences of other people.”
Having been in the film industry for over 10 years, Hermanus has learnt many lessons. “One of the most important lessons has definitely been to trust my gut. In the world we live in, much more understanding needs to be prevalent.”
One of his previous notable works, another queer-themed feature film titled Skoonheid (Beauty), won the Queer Palm Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
With a passion for his craft and a lust for life, he intends on making more thought-provoking films in the future.
Hermanus completed his Master of Arts at the London Film School and has worked professionally in press photography, documentary film, journalism and screenwriting.
Watch the trailer of Hermanus’ latest film Moffie here:
Related article:
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/245785/swing-into-the-year-with-these-films/
