Tai Krige may have started his career like most DOPs / directors as a clapper loader, but he was soon assisting camera for cinematographer Vincent Cox and working with more of the finest, behind and in front of the lens.
Krige’s is a Technicolor career that has taken him to many parts of the world, working on documentaries exploring the filmic art of Fellini and Zeffirelli, capturing performances from actors like Jack Lemon and shooting hard TV-news with ABC’s Peter Jennings in worldwide hotspots.
Now back in South Africa, Krige freelances as director and DOP for commercials, documentaries and feature films worldwide. He still does his fair share of globetrotting, but more and more, Krige finds himself filming on the African continent.
“In 2009 my commercial campaign for Arab Aid took me to Jordan, Pakistan, Italy and eventually my home continent, Africa,’ says Krige. “That pleased me as I missed working in and seeing Africa, so it was nice to be back on home ground in Cairo, overlooking the magnificent Nile River below my hotel window. Since then I have been lucky to be quite active all over Africa.’
In 2010 Krige, along with a crew and two and a half tonnes of equipment, flew around the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a chartered plane for a series of Vodacom spots. The job took him from the capital, Kinshasa, to the foot of the active
Nyiragongo volcano that destroyed much of the city of Goma in 2002. The region has since returned to its earlier status as a war zone.
Just when folk were wondering if Krige was back to shooting hard TV-news, he toned things down by heading off to a nice calm place called Nigeria. He filmed commercials for Procter & Gamble (P&G) as well as Skye and FCMB banks between 2010 and 2011.
“Shooting the three P&G washing powder spots in Lagos had its challenges,’ explains Krige. “We had to have a separate cast, wardrobe and locations because the culture, dress and appearance of the northerners is very different to the south. The job required us to build and art direct a house according to northern specs as it were.’
To follow that round of commercials, Krige shot a documentary for the Nigerian energy giant, OANDO. That took him all over Nigeria. When he realised he was speaking more pidgin English than sefrican English, Krige persuaded Nigeria’s Sona Breweries to cast their next spot in Johannesburg, confident in the variety of Nigerian talent in the veritable suburb of Lagos.
After deciphering Krige’s pidgin patois Screen Africa managed to glean that he has been just as busy this year filming more of Africa. “2012 has been great in taking me to African locations I had not been to before. I’ve shot documentaries for Coca-Cola, a Tusker beer spot in Kenya and Uganda with Mickey Dube, then a lengthy shoot in Botswana with Semakaleng Maelane.’
And that’s only part of it. Before the year is out Krige is likely to be a walking lexicon of African film settings.
By Anton Crone
screen africa magazine – september 2012
