South African Great Movies Productions (SAGMP) is to shoot the sequel to True Dream in Pretoria this month.
Fans of the original 2010 release True Dream will be pleased to know that the sequel keeps its original lead cast of Gwyneth Abraham and John Wani, supported by Mamelodi-born Millicent Moloto.
Wani is the sequel’s writer, producer and director and his motivation is to tell a more romantic story in a highly dramatic way. “True Dream 2 features more romance and drama than the first film and the script is tighter. We also have state of the art equipment and a different, talented crew.’
The 95-minute feature film will be shot in HD with Dolby 5.1 sound in English, French, Sesotho and Afrikaans with English and French subtitles. Thoba Oduwaiye is the DOP and Petronella Thomo the production manager.
True Dream 2 revolves around Pierre, a survivor of the DRC civilian war who arrives in South Africa as a refugee. He loses everything except a parcel of diamonds he managed to smuggle out of the DRC. When applying to the Department of Home Affairs for an asylum seeker permit he makes a deal with an official to get rid of the diamonds. Life returns to normal, but only temporarily.
Says Wani: “The message is that life is a great fight and only the strongest can survive. The harder you work and believe in what you are doing, the more chance you have of success. There will always be obstacles but this does not mean that success is impossible.’
Major funding for the film came from Damietta Peace Initiative Africa and Caritas Internationalis, which plays a major role in peace initiatives in Africa. The Pan-African Conciliation Team (PACT) was also actively involved in the pre-production process.
“I am working hard to balance the Nollywood philosophy of shooting low budget movies and translating African realities with the South African passion for filmmaking,’ states Wani, who recently established a film school in Pretoria.
He believes his approach to filmmaking may contribute to the emergence of a new era —that mixes Nollywood with Joziwood – in the local film industry.
Wani is a product of the online American film school and is passionate to experience a local film boom. He believes film is a great source of income for the local economy, a tool for job creation, a source of income and a medium of communication.
He says: “A high level of local infrastructure, skilled crew and cast, supported by an ever increasing technological infrastructure, should in future see South Africa on a par with Hollywood.’
True Dream 2 is planned for distribution in South Africa, DRC, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Nigeria and the African diaspora.
