22 June 2005
The 26th edition of the Durban International Film Festival has opened with the worldwide premiere of Darrell Roodt's experimental Faith's Corner.
The film is the work of the creative team that was behind Oscar-nominated Yesterday: Roodt, actress Leleti Khumalo, producer Anant Singh and cinematographer Michael Brierley.
"We are delighted to follow Yesterday with the World Premiere of Faith's Corner at the Durban International Film Festival," Singh said in a statement.
Faith's Corner follows Faith, played by Khumalo, and her two young sons Siyabonga and Lucky, who live on the streets of modern day Johannesburg. Faith works a busy street junction begging from passing motorists. With the little money she makes she tries to raise her children as best as she can, though they often go to sleep hungry and scared.
Faith must not only combat the apathy of the wealthy elite that pass her every day, but also the distrust and anger of the locals.
"Faith's Corner is a film that confronts the grave social issues of poverty and joblessness that confront South African society," Singh said. "As filmmakers, it is important that we make films that highlight social issues. Darrell Roodt and Leleti Khumalo have done an exceptional job once again."
The film is a major departure for the director of the Oscar-nominated Yesterday, it was shot on a low budget using old film stock and a hand-cranked camera.
"At the outset Darrel decided he wanted to shoot a silent movie, and we discussed how we should shoot the film," photographer Brierley told filmmaker.co.za. "We decided that we should use every trick we knew to jar the viewer; it should not have a slick big budget look.
"To my knowledge this is the first film shot entirely with a hand-cranked camera since 1923."
The film's score is by Phillip Glass, classical composer and author of the scores for The Hours, Kundun and The Truman Show.
The 2005 Durban International Film Festival, running until 26 June, presents over 250 screenings celebrating the best in South African, African and international cinema. For more information, visit the festival website.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
