Nobody’s Died Laughing is a theatrical documentary revealing the life and work of performing artist and activist Pieter-Dirk Uys. Uncovering the man behind the prominent persona, a film crew tries to keep up with Uys as he tours SA, the world and on to his home in Darling, Western Cape.
Filmmaker Willem Oelofsen explains his vision for A Journey with Pieter-Dirk Uys: “This film captures a man and a lifetime commitment to a country by using satire to affect change. I believe audiences will be intrigued to experience more about the man who refuses to be silenced while using the arts as his weapon against discrimination and confronting intolerance.”
The film was shot mostly on the Sony FS7 and Canon 5D for gimble and CableCam shots. “When we used multiple cameras we brought in another Sony FS7, the main consideration for using Sony FS7 was mobility, navigating back-stage and following Pieter-Dirk Uys through diverse locations,” explains Oelofsen. He says the DOP Nic van der Westhuizen used a variety of lenses on the Sony to create a rich cinematic look for the film. Due to an intense travel schedule they kept kit to a minimum, even renting while overseas and keeping it simple with two LED key lights and a cosmo lighting set.
For sound during interviews they used a lapel mic on guest speakers and a boom and shotgun mic. “For most of the interviews I also wore a lapel microphone just in case we needed to use the question in the film to establish context, but luckily we only ended up having to use my questions twice in the final cut of the film,” says Oelofsen.
