Thailand movie showcased in Shelly Beach
Legendary actor John Kani said Senzo Zindela has brought all the focus to the South Coast by bringing in industry greats from Thailand and Nigeria.
Not everyone is going to be a doctor, lawyer or nurse.
This was a sentiment shared by legendary South African actor Dr John Kani during the Ugu Film Festival held in Shelly Centre last Thursday.
Kani who was among the industry professionals who were invited to the festival said one can also be an artist, a writer, a director or an editor and they could end up in Hollywood or around the world.
During the film festival in Shelly Beach, guests watched ‘The Lake’, an animatronic movie made in Thailand.
Directed by Lee Thongkham, the movie is about a gigantic and bloodthirsty monster that emerges from a lake after its egg is stolen, and unleashes its fury on a town’s inhabitants, leaving a trail of destruction.
He said they spent about five years making the movie.
“We had to halt it for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic. We shot the movie in the countryside of Thailand which is my hometown. It was released in 2022, it has been aired in China, Japan and now here in South Africa. I hope the public enjoys the movie,” said Thongkham.
The Ugu Film Festival is the brainchild of Senzo Zindela who is originally from the South Coast.
Kani said Zindela has brought all the focus to the South Coast by bringing in industry greats from Thailand and Nigeria.
He said Zindela wants people not to see themselves as second-class citizens to the international film and theatre industry.
“I was just telling Zindela that I started doing this in 1965 and my father took me to a sangoma because I left the job that I had a degree for and I pursued acting. Throughout the years I persevered by telling our stories and giving the people of this country some skills and empowerment. The important thing is to respect your own culture, to respect who you are and to believe in who you are,” he said.
He added: “Zindela has been doing this for so many years, this festival takes place in Southern Africa. He has brought guests from Nigeria and Thailand and that means we are beginning to bring the focus of the world to the South Coast where people think it is all darkness. We are here to celebrate our achievements, our work, and our stories. It is the voice of the young people that will take over from us, the old generation, in order to be the voice of the future.”
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