Much anticipated South African contemporary romantic comedy Fanie Fourie’s Lobola had rave reviews during the movie’s opening weekend of 1 March 2013. Portraying a budding relationship between Fanie (Eduan van Jaarsveldt) from a strict Afrikaans family and Dinky (Zethu Dlomo), a Zulu girl whose father demands a higher lobola for her than Nelson Mandela paid for Graça Machel (according to the movie). The film recently won Best Audience Award at the second annual Jozi Film Festival.
“Initially, the edgy theme attracted me to the movie and then the desire to transform it into a movie to which South Africans audiences could relate. Fanie Fourie’s Lobola is also an opportunity to laugh at oneself,’ says Henk Pretorius, director of the film. The movie was inspired by a book by Nape a Motana which Pretorius wrote with Janine Eser as an initiative by production company Once Upon a Story.
Pretorius and Eser worked on the movie with Lance Samuels and Kweku Mandela from Out of Africa Entertainment. South African casting director Moonyeenn Lee and her assistant Belinda Kruger helped Pretorius with the casting of the film. “Eduan van Jaarsveldt, who plays the role of Fanie Fourie, was initially the assistant who fed actors their lines during the auditions. His understanding of the character was so strong that we decided to put him in front of the camera. He exceeded all our expectations and we offered him the title role,’ adds Pretorius.
“The theme of the film examines the right to existence of everyone who lives in South Africa. This right to existence is questioned in the movie and hopefully audiences leave the cinema with the knowledge that they are all an important part of a successful South Africa,’ Pretorius elaborates.
Audiences worldwide are in awe of the movie, which has already been included in four film festivals across the globe.
Pretorius is currently working on his first international feature film called Lady and the Boer which will be produced by his production company Dark Matters Studios this year.
Fanie Fourie’s Lobola is screening nationwide in South Africa and is distributed by Indigenous Films.
by Martie Bester
screen africa magazine – march 2013
