Manifesto Films (Ireland) in association with South African Pistoleros Films and Jet Black Entertainment recently finished filming the co-production The Good Man, which was shot in both countries.
Written and directed by Irish filmmaker Phil Harrison, The Good Man came about when Harrison met South African filmmaker Roy Zetisky in 2009 while in Cape Town researching the script.
Harrison had seen Zetisky’s cinematography on a Vuka! Award winning public service announcement (PSA) and knew that he had found his South African co-production partner and DOP.
A huge part of the project included creating a mentorship programme for local filmmakers. The aim was to give young South African filmmakers the opportunity to work on an international feature film.
Harrison explains that the film explores the complicated nature of charity. “The Good Man is about an Irishman who is wrought with guilt after causing a stranger’s death in a car accident. In an attempt to appease his guilt he begins to sponsor a teenager in a South African township. However the impact of his misguided generosity is far greater and more tragic than he could have imagined.’
The story was inspired by Harrison’s own experiences as a volunteer worker in a South African orphanage when he was in his mid-twenties.
“I was struck by the problematic nature of “charitable’ involvement by westerners like myself, engaging with the “problems of Africa’. The problem is over simplification coupled with naivete and a fundamental failure to engage with or even understand the political nature of people’s lives and struggles,’ notes Harrison.
Once back in Ireland Harrison continued his volunteer work with a fresh perspective. “I became increasingly interested in the role of creativity in protest and struggle. How people use photography, poetry, film and music to articulate their ideas of identity, which move away from and subvert those foisted on them. I also met various artists from Africa – Seydou Keita, Djibril Diop Mambety, Lewis Nkosi – who subtly (and occasionally not so subtly) play with notions of identity and authority.
“The idea for my film was simple: to creatively bring together the post-conflict societies I was familiar with and see what could come out of that engagement.’
Strong cast
Zetisky elaborates that although the budget was small, “we were able to secure some well established actors to come on board. Actors like Aidan Gillen (Games of Thrones, The Wire), Kelly Campbell (One Hundred Mornings), Jonathan Harden (Small Island, Five Minutes of Heaven), Thabang Sidloi (The Beneficiary) and Thomas Gumede (Otelo Burning).’
Most of the finance for the film was secured by crowd funding and through the UK rebate scheme.
“We are confident in attracting international interest in the film,’ continues Harrison. “A few distributors in the UK and Ireland have already expressed interest. We plan to take the film initially to festivals worldwide and build momentum towards a theatrical release later this year.’
Dual locations
Shooting in both Ireland and South Africa had its advantages in terms of the style of the film.
“The two sides of the film offer fascinating visual contrasts – a dark, grey Irish winter and a bright South African summer. I was keen to keep the feel loose as much as possible, playing towards a documentary feel and more handheld and unobtrusive shots. We wanted to ensure that the audience never gets the chance to sit back too much but rather focuses on the characters and scenes. The two stories subtly echo one another,’ comments Harrison.
Zetisky adds that the South African locations they shot in included Gugulethu and KwaZulu-Natal. “The local community was very welcoming and receptive to our filming in the area. We shot on a RED Mx at 24fps for the Irish and South African segments.
“My personal mission was to make the film look like it was made for a lot more than we had and at the same time create opportunities for some of my learners to work on an international feature.’
Training component
At Pistoleros Pictures Zetisky and his team attempt to take trainee filmmakers to the next level once they have already worked with them. “Their passion for doing the best they can with guidance from our on set mentors facilitates this process.
“Although I was officially the only South African producer on this project, my line producer Vuks Ngcingwana certainly earned and shared title of producer on set with the support of the mentors and associate producers, Susan Kennedy and Colin Cash, who are my new partners in Jet Black Entertainment.’
One of Zetisky’s mentorees, Sakhumzi Mati, worked closely with Harrison as a trainee director. “He was also the culture and language advisor which worked really well. As part of the mentorship, township editor Solly Zilani was mentored by editor Paul Speirs. Some of Seton Bailey’s F.I.L.M programme trainees were also on board.’
Target market
Harrison says that he is always skeptical about the phrase “target market’. “Good storytelling appeals across the broad range. This film is about connection and disconnection – of electricity, between individuals, between intention and outcome, between capital and people. The specifics of the story are ably brought to life by a superb cast.’
When asked to describe how this film differs from other films on and about South Africa, Harrison responds: “It is a great question. I guess we are trying to do this at two levels. First is the story we are telling, which is not a rosy-hued “rainbow nation’ version of South Africa.
“Secondly, we have involved trainee filmmakers in the actual filmmaking process. We built a crew with young, talented filmmakers from Gugulethu and Langa and aimed to help everyone involved step up a level in terms of skills and experience. It was a great experience and I hope that we all reap the rewards of our hard work.’
By Karen van Schalkwyk
Screen Africa Magazine – March 2012
