Student film strikes gold
17 May 2005
It started out as a final-year project for 21-year-old film student Norman Maake, and grew into a full-length feature film that has been seen and praised around the world.
"Soldiers of the Rock" - the first film to explore the world of mining in South Africa - tells the story of Vuyo, a recently graduated business student who takes a job at a mine to see the world in which his father worked.
Deep in the mines, Vuyo learns that, despite the advent of freedom above ground, little has changed in the daily lives of the miners. Decreasing gold reserves threaten the mine's continued existence, forcing the miners to make a decision about their future.
The spirit of the mine, who has claimed the lives of countless miners, including Vuyo's father, offers a mythical backdrop to the political and economic themes of the film.
Maake's film displays a depth and maturity far beyond most student productions.
The film was put together by students of
the SA School of Motion Picture Medium and Live Performance, otherwise known as AFDA, in 2000.
Although the cast includes some well-known South African performers, the majority of the actors were drawn from the ranks of the college.
The project was uniquely ambitious for a film school. Since then, AFDA has been recognised internationally for the quality of training it provides.
"Soldiers of the Rock" has been included in the official selections of a host of international film festivals, including Tribeca and Cannes in 2004.
The film won a special jury award at the 2003 Apollo Film Festival, a jury award and most promising director mention at the 2003 Cape Town World Cinema Festival, and a screenplay award at Los Angeles' Pan African Film Festival in 2004.
Hailed as one of South Africa's hottest young talents, Maake is currently employed as a commercials director by Terraplane films in Johannesburg.
"Soldiers of the Rock" opens in South African
cinemas in October.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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