THE bilingual (Afrikaans/English) drama, My Father’s War, which focuses on the broken relationship between a father and his rebellious teenage son, hit the screens on April 5.
The film is set in 2003 and 19-year-old Dap Smit (Edwin van der Walt) is constantly fighting with his father, Dawid (Stian Bam), a veteran of the Border War. The men do not see eye to eye on anything and there seems to be no hope for reconciliation between them. Dawid’s wife, Karina (Erica Wessels) is caught in the middle of their epic battle.
Then Dap has a series of dreams in which he is a combat soldier in the Border War in the 1980s. There he meets his father at the same age, and those dreams turn young Dap’s perception and life, completely upside down.
According to the producer, Peter Lamberti, and writer and director, Craig Gardner, the biggest challenge during the film was to combine the theme of a broken relationship with the Border War. In other words, how to overcome the gap between a father and his son when the war occurred almost thirty years ago.
The filmmakers said: “We are hoping to reach as broad an audience as possible but most certainly wish for anyone who was touched by the war: soldiers, wives, husbands, children and parents to see it. It will hopefully be a cathartic experience, bringing back memories, exorcising ghosts and helping to bring more understanding and emotional healing to viewers – even those who had absolutely nothing to do with the war. Any parent and child will be able to relate to it on a personal level.”
Apart from Stian Bam, Edwin van der Walt and Erica Wessels, the movie also stars Neels Clasen, Hannes Muller, Meren Reddy, Fumani Shilubana, Jai’prakesh Shewram and David Rees.
My Father’s War was released nationwide in film theatres and is distributed by Ster-Kinekor Entertainment.
