‘Stam’ (The Tree), the new film written and directed by Louw Venter and produced by Urucu, will have its theatrical release on DStv’s BoxOffice on 2 October. The film recently won the award for Best South African Film at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF).
The film follows the interlinked lives of five vastly different characters over the course of a few hours in inner city Cape Town, and explores a range connections and relationships that go far beyond familiarity, economics, gender, race or social standing. The city too, with its particular brand of tribalism, decay, magic, gentrification, globalisation and regeneration, plays a central role in the film.
The film is generating a lot of excitement in the industry. A uniquely Afrikaans film, it tells a tale that is unpredictable, and without pretention or political correctness, as it explores the psychological world of a set of characters seeking to belong.
Beginning on 7 October, KKNK will be hosting a series of free webinars to talk about the issues explored in the film, including the trauma experienced by caregivers, the widespread problem of gender-based violence in South Africa, and the intricate relationship between connection and addiction.
“The panel discussion aims to highlight the unspoken traumas inherent in the act of caring for others, from medical practitioners routinely exposed to humans in crisis and pain, to mothers deprived of rest and self-care,” says Venter. “Perhaps these types of conversations can serve as a vital space for expression. We will also look at why gender-based violence is so ubiquitous in South Africa, why we are unable to stop it, and what are we not saying about it that perhaps we should.”
‘Stam’ was produced with the support of M-Net, kykNet, the Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa (DTI), the Netherlands Film Fund, the Netherlands Film Production Incentive and the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF).
