Director John Barker’s new satirical film Wonder Boy for President, starring comedy heavyweight Kagiso Lediga, opened in cinemas across the country on 29 July…
Premiered at the 2016 Durban International Film Festival, the mockumentary which gets its bearings from the concerning current state of South African politics, tells the story of Wonder Boy (Lediga), a charismatic and authoritative young man from the Eastern Cape, who is coerced into running for president by two dubious and crooked characters.
Brutus and Shakes (Ntosh Madlingozi and Tony Miyambo), pull all the strings at the African National Congress’ (ANC) Braamfontein office. But these shady comrades have a sinister plan of their own, to mould the grass roots Wonder Boy into a revered politician and thereafter fix the stakes, creating his fall from grace for the right price. “What they didn’t factor in is that true greatness… falls up,” explains John Barker.
Barker, who in addition to directing, co-produced the film with Lediga, says that he wanted to make a film that sparked debate, a film that reflected the current lack of leadership in South Africa, so naturally employing satirical devices was the obvious choice. “Wonder Boy for President follows Julius Malema’s life in that the ANCYL lost their leader. So our guys (fictitious) in the Braamfontein branch were sent out to find a new charismatic leader,” explains Barker.
“Satire is a very important genre that allows filmmakers to comment and critique culture, society and in our case politics. Satire is one of the essential elements of a free society and its existence is a good indicator of a free society.”
Barker explains that South Africa’s current, often tragically comedic, political landscape provides a constant stream of material and inspiration for the making of Wonder Boy for President, which coupled with the film’s talented and seasoned cast members, meant that minimal research was needed for the making of the film. “We have a core group of very talented comedians and actors who are very good at improv – stretching back as far as The Pure Monate Show. Many of them are in the film. It’s always good to watch as many local films, television and theatre as possible – especially as you are developing your script and characters… The political landscape has given us so much material, very little research was needed with the political satire.”
The film employs the technique of retro-scripting, preparing the plot but leaving the actors to improvise a lot of their own dialogue, “and because we had a cast comprising South Africa’s top comedians, the results were hilarious,” says Barker. “It’s a parody of our times, with commentary on greed, corruption and cronyism, and no-one is spared.”
Additional cast members include Thishiwe Ziqubu, John Vlismas, Akin Omotoso, Loyiso Gola, David Kibuuka, Zabalaza Mchunu, Lara Lipschitz, Christopher Steenkamp, Camilo Saloojee, Daniel Friedman, Tshepo Mogale, Robbie Collins, Mary Twala and Barker. “We were really blessed to have a whole bunch of South Africa’s top comedians who collaborated on the film with us,” comments Barker.
In addition to the aforementioned cast members, Wonder Boy for President, features – thanks to the clever use of available footage from various news sources – a host of well-known faces “that, um, play themselves” says Barker. These include President Jacob Zuma, Julius Malema, Mmusi Maimane, Floyd Shivambu, Cyril Ramaphosa, Zwelinzima Vavi, Helen Zille and Zapiro.
In terms of cinematography, the film employs the look and feel of a documentary, in an attempt to enhance the desired realism, DOP Graham Boonzaaier made use of the Canon 5D, capturing the visuals in a handheld style. Saki Bergh edited the gutsy satire and was key to the retro scripting process according to Barker. In addition to Bergh, the writing team was made up of Barker, Camilo Saloogee, Christopher Steenkamp and Kagiso Lediga. The film features an original soundtrack composed and performed by Durban band Thee Legacy.
Shot over the course of five years in and around Braamfontein, as well as at political rallies and stadiums around Johannesburg, Wonder Boy for President – produced through Barking Rat Film in association with Dog Pack Collective – along with Barker and Lediga, is co-produced by Tammy Lewis-Houting and Jeremy Nathan. The film is theatrically released in South Africa by Indigenous Films.
“Wonder Boy for President is a gutsy and deeply funny political satire that delves into the dynamics and challenges unique to the crazy world of South African politics,” says Barker, “…At a time when the rand/dollar has set a morose mood in the country, and amid all the doom and gloom in the media about corruption, greed and cronyism, it was fabulous to make a film that could parody the current times, make us take a deep long look at the absurdity of it and laugh. Perhaps we all will see some of ourselves in these characters – and perhaps it will help people to make the change they need.”
