Highly respected South African film industry professional Robert Russell of Panacam Africa passed away on 5 October at the age of 58.
Tink Minster of Camera Platform writes: Robert started in our industry in 1976 when he took over from me at Samuelson Genop. We became close friends in the early 1980s, when Neville Reid, Rob and I worked for ourselves under the same roof and also for Mandalay Progear.
Eventually around 1985, the three of us formed Logical Designs where we worked together until 2000 when we sold the company to Sasani.
Rob was always a “debater’ (for want of a better word) and often, especially after his tipple of Bacardi and Coke, would argue anything even when it was obvious that he was wrong.
If you were his friend he was the best kind to have. Rob never asked questions or interfered, but was there for you 24/7.
Once, one of my very clever assistants decided to pay everybody because she was going on leave, leaving me with no cash flow for the stop orders that were imminent at the end of the month on a Sunday. On Saturday night at about 10:30 pm I popped down to Rob’s house and asked if he could deposit R10 000 into my account. He didn’t ask a single question, he just got out his laptop and did it – that was the kind of guy he was.
Rob leaves behind his wife Alison of some 33 years and two great children, Julie and Warren.
He will be sorely missed by his many film friends worldwide especially within the “Panavision family’.
In the words of one of the many emails I received: “A lovely man…great fun and remembered very fondly’.
screen africa magazine – jan 2013
