A masters student from Blue Downs has just finished making a short film.
Chevãn van Rooi wrote the script of Êrens innie Toekoms (Somewhere in Future) as an extension of his master’s dissertation, an attempt to disseminate knowledge to the broader public.
“The film was written to explicitly introduce Kaaps as a fully fledged language variety that is not to be thought of as a reduced or lesser-than variety of Standard Afrikaans and to give recognition to a people (speakers of Kaaps) who were for a very long time socially and politically side-lined, and to shed light on issues faced by people on the Cape Flats (and perhaps even broader SA),” says van Rooi.
According to van Rooi the movie will be enjoyed by youth, young adults and adults alike.
“I suppose it will also be enjoyed by advocates of Kaaps (and other minority languages), linguists and other social scientists. The movie is set in Manenberg or the Cape Flats and was shot in various locations like Conifers (Blue Downs), Goodwood, Bellville and Manenberg,” says van Rooi.
The film was released on Sunday 13 March at the Labia Theatre in Cape Town and will be streamed online and entered into various film festivals.
Êrens innie Toekoms is inspired and motivated by the warmth and the cold of the Cape Flats, specifically Manenberg.
“We grapple with the struggles faced by Christopher Marais and his family – discriminated against for speaking an unrecognised minority language, treated as inferiors, but later on proven to be victors. After being denied a job at a new company because of the language he speaks, he teams up with Andrew Smith, a language expert and activist, and together they take on a case that will eventually change the linguistic landscape of South Africa, creating recognition for minority languages and their speakers.”
Van Rooi says the journey to finishing the movie was not easy.
“There was a great demand for financial resources, and all of our funding applications (done over a two-year period) were unsuccessful. Thankfully there were many who assisted us with production costs. Many people donated and sponsored, and many crew and cast kindly rendered their services and talents voluntarily. And because of this, all the giving (from many, many different people – for whom we are so thankful) we’ve called the project our ‘love project’.
“The writing process started with a sleepless night in the heart of level five lockdown and flourished into the finished film we have today. Initially I wanted to do a documentary on Kaaps, but I rethought the idea. I wanted something that would be enjoyed by more people, so I decided on a short film. We did not let the problems stop us. I reached out to the Director, Jaak Erasmus, who eagerly agreed to join forces to bring the film to life. Thereafter we worked on finishing the script and contacting some actors that I envisioned for the various roles. There were also some setbacks with the lockdown restrictions, but we persevered. I want to thank everyone that was involved with the project,” says Van Rooi.
