South Africa has a rich tapestry of stories that are yet to be told. “Old Righteous Blues”, which premiered on the opening night of the 11th Silwerkskerm Film Festival on Wednesday, is a prime example of this.
It was a proud moment for everyone associated with the film, especially screenwriter Carol Shore, as the film, besides being a passion project, was 25 years in the making.
Set in Robertson, the story centres around the Old Righteous Blues kerskoor (carol choir).
The year is 1997, and Hantjie (Ayden Croy) has his eye on becoming the drum major for his Christmas choir after hearing of the impending retirement of the current drum major, Oom Jakwes (Joseph Mitchell).
To say that he lives and breathes this calling is an understatement. It’s in his genes, just like his late dad, who passed away from TB.
His younger brother Elvin (Joshwin Dyson), who is also his biggest fan is equally talented but conflicted by the politics within the choir.
In the Boland community, the choir is not just an integral part of its spirit, it carries stature and, in so doing, respect.
But, as much as it unites a community, it divides it too. And that is what happens in this instance.
A feud from decades ago resurfaces when Hantjie is passed over for the drum major position. His replacement is young, inexperienced and lacks leadership.
But the board members are resolved in their decision. And Hantjie, in his determination to change their minds and, in so doing, eventually marry the love of his life, Risi (Megan Saayman), gets ousted instead.
Meanwhile, Elvin joins the town’s rival band, helmed by Mr Cupoido (Kevin Smith).
Of course, this decision doesn’t sit well with Hantjie, their mother or the band’s leaders. And the friction is heightened by a secret that uproots all their lives.
The movie exposes viewers to a South African cultural treasure that many never knew existed. Where Shore really struck gold, is in crafting the characters and capturing the essence of the community.
While the story touches on family, feuds, and politics among the elders of the community, it also celebrates the tenacity of its young characters who pursue their dreams despite the setbacks they face.
In the Q&A session post the screening, Shore shared: “I have loved this film with all of my heart for half of my adult life.
“I just can’t begin to tell you what it means to actually have this film made with this incredible team and it really has taken 25 years to find the money.
“I first came into contact with the kerskoor when I moved to the Western Cape from Johannesburg. And the first time that I saw them, and (heard) the incredible haunting music, I knew that this had to be brought to the screen somehow and that was a mission that ended tonight.”
She continued: “We were concerned with leadership, with community involvement. These bands form a central force in the community for good.
“And, the screenplay looks at the incredible values of courage, taking on a leadership that was out of date, and giving up your security in order to achieve something for the greater good.
“And those were the values that came forward in the film.”
Backing the project was a no-brainer for producer, Cati Weinek.
She explained: “It goes back to a deep respect for Carol as a writer and then the script came along, a lot of trust is put in by a writer to hand over a script to somebody and say, ‘Can you look at this, how can we make this happen?’
“So there was no doubt, it was a very beautiful script. Sometimes you have to say, here’s a near-perfect script. And then it was about a relentless search to find a director because often, as independent filmmakers, we make films that are writer-director driven, but in this case, we have a beautiful script but we didn’t have a director.
“And so for me, it was a commitment to finding the director.”
That responsibility went to Muneera Sallies, who exuded the same passion as Shore and Weinek.
Sallies admitted: “The first time I read the script, the tears, yoh! It just hit me really really hard. At that moment, my intention was for the audience to experience the same emotions as I was experiencing reading the script because it really takes you on a journey.
“And you can picture everything. It was really beautifully written.
“I wanted to rip the audience’s heart and stitch it back together again because when I picked up that script, I kid you not, I made plans in the next two days and visited Robertson.”
It is safe to say that, from the comments from the panel, which included Saayman and Croy, they fell in love with Robertson.
Saayman was at a loss for words at the screening, as it was the first time she watched the film as a finished product.
She said: “I’m proud to be part of something like this. To be part of this story, to be part of this production. I’m honestly so proud. It definitely speaks to my heritage.”
And Croy, who did such a stellar job in delivering a layered performance, was all smiles at the premiere too.
He admitted to jumping onto Google to research more for his character when he bagged the role.
He added: “Muneera is an amazing director. I think the first time she called me and said, ‘Can you come to the audition’, I was like, yes.
“She was an actress. She understands the director-actor relationship. And she guided me so much through this whole journey. Through all the emotions. I appreciated it.
“The more I researched, I found the importance of telling this story to the rest of the world. Not just South Africa. I think there are so many layers that are untouched that we can cover.
“We can show the rest of the world. Once I tapped into that, understanding the character and the vision of the film, everything just came together.”
In this industry, representation has become the holy grail.
Sallies nodded in agreement and said: “When we say representation matters, that is a statement we can’t take lightly. For a long time, we had other people telling our stories.
“What we are doing now is we are taking our stories and telling our stories. It’s our voices that need to be heard and told in our communities.
“And to be a part of this and this film and with Carol, who wrote an absolutely beautiful script, and with Cati involved in, and the absolute community atmosphere - that was absolutely everything. We very much felt a part of Robertson. And they welcomed us.”
“Old Righteous Blues” takes audiences on an emotional rollercoaster with its strength of conviction in introducing a lesser-known part of a community’s history.
And if the applause in the theatre is anything to go by, SA will lap up every moment of drama in this hauntingly beautiful film, which tugs at the heart with its underdog narrative.
The release date of the film is yet to be confirmed.