Diphare can be described as one of the most “independent’ documentary filmmakers in South Africa as he finances his own work. Fall of the Tomb is Diphare’s most recent documentary.
The film is a sequel to his acclaimed documentary JG Strijdom is Very Very Dead (1999). “Fall of the Tomb chronicles my return to Strijdom Square, the fall of the Strijdom statue and its aftermath. It has been a long time in the making and we are finally in post-production. However, it’s been worth the wait as the film is now more relevant as it explores current racial undertones in the Tshwane CBD.’
Fall of the Tomb is a collaboration between Diphare and Swiss filmmaker Thomas Imbach. “Thomas was a workshop facilitator at Encounters 1999 and gave me artistic guidance in refining my vision on Strijdom is Very Very Dead. We became good friends and when he visited me in Pretoria, we went on an impromptu shooting spree exploring racism and socio-cultural freedom in the city. I met him again in 2002 in Zurich when I was invited by Pro Helvetia to be a resident director at Atelier Zerodeux and he gave me the master tape he had preserved for me. I found that we had shot excellent material.
“My primary objective with Fall of the Tomb was to make a film that interrogates the new socio-political dispensation – a post apartheid era faced with its own realities and expectations. Like all my previous work, Fall of the Tomb is an experimental personal installment.’
The documentary is shot cinema verite. “We went this route because the film revolves around a conversation between two main characters, one of which is me, and has a casual look and feel,’ comments Diphare. “Our locations include salons, boutiques and hawker stalls. It was creatively stimulating to work on an emotive and sensitive subject like racism and social freedom.’
As for self-financing his films, Diphare notes that this is the most difficult route any documentary filmmaker can take. “I have developed a thick skin and have been penniless many times in my career, but I have always been able to complete my films. Luckily I have developed collaborative relationships with a circle of creative people who share my vision. The advantage of self-financing is that I maintain editorial independence and creative freedom.’
Editor Lauren van der Merwe is one of Diphare’s collaborators. “She is fantastic and always does great work,’ says Diphare. “She helped me realise my other works, Dance of the Graves and Sister in Wonderland. I really respect her and adore her creativity and sensitivity as an editor.’
Fall of the Tomb will screen at the Pretoria Art Museum in September as this is heritage month and the film raises pertinent issues about racism, heritage and our new society.
“I aim to take it to alternative viewing circles as with my previous work. The Gauteng Film Commission has been helpful in this regard and supported my screenings,’ concludes Diphare.
