Both the South African Guild of Editors (SAGE) and Tsotsi director Gavin Hood have responded strongly to the Sunday Times article run on 2 April, which was inaccurately headlined “Tsotsi editors held over pirate copies”. (The two people arrested were not part of the editing team nor in any way involved in editing the film.)
In his letter to the editor of the Sunday Times, Gavin Hood wrote:
Dear Editor
A recent, factually inaccurate article in the Sunday Times (which has been quoted in numerous publications around the world) is causing considerable distress to the outstanding editing team behind Tsotsi. Last week, a bold headline incorrectly read: “Tsotsi editors held over pirate copies.”
As the director of Tsotsi, I owe it to my talented collaborators to make it clear that none of the film’s editors have been arrested for piracy. The individuals arrested were employees of Video Lab, which is a large company where we did digital post production work, but neither of the individuals charged with piracy were editors and neither worked directly on Tsotsi.
While it is true that most members of the public do not know exactly what an editor does, the term “editor” has a specific meaning within the industry. Referring to those arrested as “editors” falsely casts industry suspicion upon certain highly respected and talented individuals whose outstanding work contributed enormously to the Oscar success of Tsotsi.
For the record, the editor of the film was Megan Gill, the assistant editors were Pravashanee Reddy and Cassious Munyai, the sound editors were Juli Vandenberg, Charlotte Buys and Elinor Hardy. None of these editors have been arrested or in any way implicated in the piracy of Tsotsi. For the sake of their professional dignity, this unintended error requires an unreserved apology.
Sincerely,
Gavin Hood
(director, Tsotsi)
SAGE issued a press release which reads thus:
SAGE DEPLORES SHODDY REPORTING ON TSOTSI DVD PIRACY:
EDITING PROFESSION BROUGHT INTO DISREPUTE BY BAD JOURNALISM
As the representative body of television and film editors in South Africa, the South African Guild of Editors (SAGE) would like to express its profound dissatisfaction with the inaccurate report in the Sunday Times of 2 April, which implicated some of our members in the Tsotsi piracy issue.
The headline of the report, “Tsotsi editors held over pirate copies”, creates the false impression that the editor, Megan Gill, her assistant editors and the sound editors were responsible for producing and distributing counterfeit DVDs of the film Tsotsi. Although the actual suspects are mentioned elsewhere in the report, the Sunday Times fails to make a clear distinction between the film editors of Tsotsi and the two former staff members of the Video Lab currently being held by the police. The two suspects in the pirate DVD case were at no stage involved in, or under no circumstance editors of the film, but were employees of the Video Lab who had access to the tapes. Neither Megan Gill nor the MD of Video Lab, Dave Keet, referred to the suspects as editors in their interviews with the Sunday Times.It is unfortunate that this inaccurate headline was used by other news organisations including e.tv.
The South African Guild of Editors is proud of the high standards set by its members. Not only do we strive towards higher standards in our craft, but also in our professional and ethical conduct as part of the film and television industry in South Africa. SAGE applauds the great contribution made by Megan Gill and her colleagues to the success of the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi, and it is disappointing that defamatory and irresponsible newspaper reporting should cast a shadow over this significant achievement.
SAGE hopes that any further reporting on this matter will state the correct facts, and that the credibility and integrity of our organisation and its members will be restored in the eyes of the film and television industry and the public in general.
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF SAGE ON 05 APRIL 2006
MEDIA ENQUIRIES: JULI VANDENBERG 082 9004 922
