Four years in development, Hansie (The Movie) will be released countrywide in South Africa by Nu Metro Film Distribution on Heritage Day, 24 September. This is one day before the actual birthday of the late fallen cricket hero, Hansie Cronje, whose story the film tells.

Producer and screenwriter Frans Cronje (Hansie’s older brother) says that for him the film is about how you get up once you have fallen. Director Regardt van den Bergh adds: “It’s not a cricket movie but one about our frailty before temptation and our weaknesses.”

The film tells of how Hansie Cronje, the beloved captain of the South African cricket team from November 1994 to April 2000, betrayed his nation’s trust by succumbing to the temptations of match-fixing. Hansie stars Frank Rautenbach in the title role and shows how the fallen hero picked himself up again before tragically dying in a plane crash.

Hansie was produced by Global Creative Studios (Faith Like Potatoes), with cinematography by Dave Aenmey, editing by Morne Theunissen and music by Julian Wiggins.

There will be Hansie premieres in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Bloemfontein, two weeks prior to release.