The Film Factory and Nostalgia Productions are proud to announce that a new film adaptation of Fielaย se Kind, the bestselling novel by Dalene Matthee, will hit cinemas across South Africa on 13 September 2019.
Directed by Brett Michael Innes, writer/director of the 2017 SAFTA-winning film Sink, the film was produced by Danie Bester (Vir Altyd, Vaselinetjie, Stroomop) in conjunction with kykNET Films, Filmfinity (Pty) Ltd, and the Department of Trade and Industry.
โThe story of Fiela is both heartbreaking and profound,โ says Bester from the Film Factory offices. โThe novel carries a special place in the hearts of many South Africans and, even though it was written in 1985, we believe that it has themes that still speak to us today.โ
The novel was previously adapted into a film in 1988 by director Katinka Heyns and starred Shaleen Surtie-Richards in a performance that was as iconic as the character who inspired it.
โThere will naturally be comparisons to the first adaptation,โ says Innes, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. โWe know that we cannot replace it and weโre not trying to. Classic literature has a way of inspiring different artists to tell it in different ways and we believe that Fiela se Kindย falls into this category. It is truly a timeless story.โ
Fiela Komoetieย will be brought to life by stage actress Zenobia Kloppers with the role of Benjamin Komoetieย played by newcomers Luca Bornman and Wayne Smith. Drikus Volschenk and Cindy Swanepoel will appear in the roles of Elias and Barta van Rooyenย with Melissa Willering, Andre Stoltz, Wayne van Rooyen, and Stefan Erasmus also attached to the project.
โIt is a great honour to play this character on screen,โ says Kloppers, who played the role in the 2007 stage production. โFiela has a way of melting even the hardest of hearts and her journey is one that reminds us all to be better people.โ
With cinematography by Tom Marais (Ballade vir โn Enkeling,ย Verraaiers, Hunter Killer) and edit by C.A. van Aswegen (Ellen Pakkies, Raaiselkind), the film was shot on location in both the Knysna Forest and the Karoo with production design by Chantel Carter (Bram Fischer, Kalushi), makeup by Maritsa Maritz (Vuil Wasgoed, Thys & Trix) and wardrobe by Mari van der Merwe (Buurtwag). Charlotte Buys (Noem My Skollie, Shepherds and Butchers) oversees the sound design which will feature an original score by Kyle Shepherd (Noem My Skollie).
For immediate updates you can follow the film on @thefilmfactoryza - use the hashtag #FielaSeKind. Below you can find links to all the Instagram handles of the creatives in the film:
CAST
Zenobia Kloppers - @zenobiakloppers_official
Wayne Smith - @waynesmithsa
Wayne van Rooyen - @waynevanrooyen
Drikus Volshenck - @drikus.volschenk
Cindy Swanepoel - @cindyswaan
Melissa Willering - @melissawillering
Stefan Erasmus - @disekstef
Andre Stoltz - @andrestolzproductions
CREW
Danie Bester - @thefilmfactoryza
Brett Michael Innes - @brettmichaelinnes
Tom Marais - @tommarais
Maritsa Mauritz - @mmitz1
C.A. van Aswagen - @cavanaswegen
Kyle Shepherd - @kyleshepherdmusic
Fiela se Kindย will released nationwide on 13 September 2019 by Filmfinty (Pty) Ltd.