The film Of Good Report, which was technically “banned’ from screening at the Durban International Film Festival in July, has its international premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Friday 6 September.
Of Good Report is showing at Ster-Kinekor cinemas countrywide after director and writer Jahmil XT Qubeka won an appeal to have his film classified by the South African Film and Publication Board. The controversy surrounding the movie has generated world media attention while Qubeka is gaining international awareness as a “director to watch’.
Comments Qubeka: “Words cannot describe how chuffed I am that we are playing at TIFF 2013. The platform this festival provides for independent filmmakers is second to none and I am honoured we are on the guest list.’
“Of Good Report is a bracing wake-up call from South Africa and an inspired example of serious, committed filmmaking,’ remarks Cameron Bailey, artistic director of TIFF.
Rasha Salti, TIFF programmer, says: “Superbly filmed in black and white, Of Good Report takes us well out of our comfort zones with the boldness of an artistic and political maverick … is bound to jolt and challenge usually complacent representations of South African, and universal, morality’.
The film tells the story of a school teacher Parker Sithole (Mothusi Magano) whose illicit affair with one of his pupils (Petronella Tshuma) spirals into obsession and madness. Qubeka describes his film as “a South African homage to film noir that tells the story of Red Riding Hood from the wolf’s perspective.’
Other principal cast includes Tina Jaxa, Phoenix Mabote, Tshamano Sebe, Mary Twala and Lee-Ann van Rooi.
The movie is produced by Michael Auret of Spier Films and Luzuko Dilima of The New Brighton Motion Picture Company and co-produced by Heather Millard of Compass Films in Iceland, supported by the Icelandic Film Centre.
“After the vital critical appraise and positive audience response in South Africa, we think we have built a solid foundation for international distribution,’ says Auret.
Of Good Report screens at TIFF on 6, 7 and 14 September.
