Heatstroke, a co-production between South Africa and Germany
featuring the
talent of Stephen Dorff (Blade) and Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones),
releases
on 4 July on VOD platforms, iTunes and in cinemas across the US.
Directed by Evelyn Purcell, the film tells the story of a family trip which goes
wrong when a research scientist unintentionally travels off course, leaving his
daughter and girlfriend to fend for themselves in Africa. Along with surviving the
elements, the two must evade a dangerous arms dealer.
Williams said she enjoyed working with some of South Africa’s wildlife, but that
the hot climate took getting used to, “We were shooting in some really vast
locations where there isn’t really shade. The ozone in South Africa is a lot
thinner than it is in the UK, and there’s not a lot shielding you from the sun, so
you had to be really, really careful in the sun. They were constantly covering me
in sunscreen and stuff. I completely enjoyed it and loved being there, but that
was something I was very conscious of, just because, naturally more so than
other people from the UK, I do struggle in the heat.’
She continued, “I worked with hyenas pretty closely, and that was crazy. I feel
like other big animals like that, like big cats or anything like that, even the
hyenas, you don’t get to see every day. If you ask someone to just draw a
hyena, you couldn’t. You don’t know that sort of animal well enough. They just
look so different.’
Distributed in the US by Phase 4 Films and produced by Bold Films and Film Afrika
Worldwide, the key crew which worked on the film included: producers David
Wicht, Theuns De Wet, Michel Litvak, David Lancaster; executive producers, Gary
Michael Walters, Evelyn Maude Purcell and co-producers, Joerg Westerkamp,
Thomas Becker and Vlokkie Gordon. The movie was filmed by Ben Nott and
edited by Ronelle Loots while Paul Haslinger and Richard Walters were
responsible for music and Simon Hansen produced the visual effects.
