Namibia with my Lover – Drool…
Thanks to Dikatso for the first of our holiday stories featuring trips to Southern African countries… She went West to Namibia for a New Years break – sounds marvellous. PS: You know you can fly with Kulula pretty chipile? Click here for Nambia Tourism – thanks for the pic by the way! It all started with a dream. I wanted …to travel a lot more. Especially within the African continent (can’t afford the thousands of rands required to fly over seas). I figured I’d done SA extensively. Did Mocambique two years back. Zimbabwe&hmmm, maybe later. Lesotho – done. Swaziland- done. Botswana – done. Next stop. Namibia. It’s actually quite funny that my lover and I booked ourselves into a B&B, paid for it and everything, without even knowing how far Namibia is. On the map it seems pretty close. And I’d done other Southern African countries by car before, so I figured piece of cake. Tjo. The place is like 2000km away mfana. That means it would take a full day to get there if you are foolish enough to drive. Ah, I figured it would be a bit of an adventure you know. Just me, my lover and the open road. We figured we’d leave in the afternoon, drive through the night and get there the next morning. Phela we are on a budget trip, can’t afford to do an overnight stop, that stuff needs money. And we have very little of that. This is the diary of Dikatso & Mothepu December 29, 2005 10h00 – scheduled time to leave 13h00 – actual time of departure. Eish, my lover and keeping time – the two just don’t get along yazi. 14h00 – got a bit lost trying to find the N14 or is it the N4 – the road that takes us to Zeerust. 15h00 – Made a quick stop somewhere in Magaliesburg for some goodies. You know some padkos that consisted of sweets, simba chips, water and some cool drink. Can’t spend too much, we are on a budget. 18h00 – Zeerust. Finally. Been driving for what seems like forever. But the roads are pretty good, so wasn’t all that bad actually. 19h00 – Finally get to Pioneer Gate Border Post. Goodbye South Africa, and Hello Botswana. Must say the customs officials aren’t very friendly. Nope, not at all. Botswana needs to train their customs staff to be a little bit friendlier, maybe smile a little. I mean, if your first impression of a country is their customs official…ya, they need some people skills. Had to exchange some rands into the Botswana currency, the Pula that has...
“SMS Sugar Man” – cellphone film complete
Remember we told you all about the Fliek that’s getting shot on a cellphone – it’s been completed! Check it out! Principal photography was completed on SMS Sugar Man, early on 31st December 2005. “It works”, says Aryan Kaganof, the prolific writer/director of numerous feature films, shorts and video art who is directing the film. “We shot with up to eight Sony Ericsson W900i …mobile phones, and the results are beyond our expectations. The results of the blow-up tests were amazing. This camera has liberated film makers from the tyrannies of the 35mm set. Finally I can truly say that I FILM WHAT I LIKE.” “The technology gave us unlimited time to focus on the intimacy of the performances, and we were able to complete the shooting of an entire feature film in an amazing 12 days”, says Michelle Wheatley, producer for Reflex Motion Pictures. The production stars newcomers Deja Bernhardt and Leigh Graves in the two leads, who give sizzling performances. Also contributing to the company of players are John Matshikiza (Wah-Wah), Jerry Mofokeng (Tsotsi), and Luthuli Dlamini (Scandal), all well known on South African screens and stage. Dv8 Films Executive Producers Joel Phiri and Jeremy Nathan, are thrilled with the results, “The rushes look incredible, this will change the way films are made in the near future.” The story is an original idea of Kaganof’s, takes place on Christmas Eve, and is a love triangle with an audacious twist. A feel good story on a lonely dark evening, for the modern urban viewer. The script was workshopped with all the actors. The film will be ready for distribution on a variety of media in May 2006, on mobile, Internet, theatrical, television and DVD platforms, offering the public maximum access in innovative ways. Ster-Kinekor, one of the film’s financiers, will handle the release in South Africa. Says Helen Kuhn, “This project is at the heart of the spirit of our collaboration with Dv8. The film is incredibly innovative. We are excited about the prospects of this film.” “…in Johannesburg…on Christmas Eve&bad things happen” **************************************************** 11 Nov 2006 We love it when South Africans come up with great ideas, we have been wondering when someone would do something interesting with cellphone pics and movies – here it is – SMS SUGAR MAN… Aryan Kaganof, the prolific writer/director of numerous feature films, shorts and video art has embarked on a world first. He is to direct the first 35mm feature film, shot on a mobile cell phone camera. Teaming up with producer Michelle Wheatley and Dv8/IMG Films Executive Producers Joel Phiri and Jeremy Nathan, the film is called “SMS Sugar...
Abstinence just ain’t going to crack it.
Thanks to Aquoibon for his thoughts – he’s appalled at the old-school approach of the Minister of Education when it comes to teenagers doing the wild thang. Let’s fact it, how many of us have grand or great grand parent that was gafoefling at a young age getting themselves pregnant with our forefathers? Young people have been having sex at a young age for centuries and that’s never going to chan…ge. So he wants to know, do you really think telling horny youngsters to ‘abstain’ will work? Having unprotected sex in South Africa is deadlier than playing Russian roulette. You’ve got 16% chance to hit the bullet as opposed to 30% chance to hit an infected partner. Somehow, having sex is still more appealing than playing exotic social games. When I reminisce on my teenage years (something I try to avoid when possible), it is quite clear that while the hormones kicked in and my face got covered with acne, a powerful agenda was creeping its way up to the top of my to-do list: getting laid. I was certainly not the only one the winky fairy visited, my school inmates were pretty obsessed about it too,all like a bunch of crackheads on a binge. Did you get some? How can I get some? Please give me some… Now, try and explain to a kid that candy is bad for him, that your teeth rot when you eat that stuff, that you go blind and poop your pants. Try and explain to a teenager that sex is bad for him, that your lifespan shrinks to a few years if you play with that stuff, that you get all skinny and die in a smelly hospital bed. Surprisingly, kids still want candy. Teens do too. That’s human nature, we drink, we drink and drive, we smoke, we max out our credit cards, we eat burnt meat… Now, the difference between most of our daily unreasonable activities and sex is that there’s a very simple trick that makes sex pretty safe: wearing a condom. It doesn’t take much of the fun away, but makes the activity much safer. I almost choked when I heard that Naledi Pandor, our minister of education, doesn’t want teenagers to be taught about the trick. She publicly condemned the distribution of preservatives in schools, advocating the promotion of abstinence as the alternative to safe sex, arguing that “learners should concentrate on their studies and not engage in sexual activity” and that she doesn’t understand why “13-year-olds are engaged in sexual activity at that age”. These kids must do as they’re damn told and that’s the end...
Kick off the new year with a party at 88
As Joburg slowly comes back to life so the parties start taking over from the new year blues – anyone that’s in the mood to get down this weekend, head to one of our favourite venues in Norwood for a Red Bull party at the 88 Lounge – you can’t fault these guys, they know how to party! Red Bull and Smirnoff Triple distilled invite you to The 88 Lounge for our first summer of 88 p…arty 2006! Saturday 14 January Party kicks off at 3pm and is set to go through the night vodka-bull giveaways, as well as a braai on the deck cool summer tunes provided by: The Milkbar Kid The Boogie Man Aris B cover charge – 30.00 B4 9pm / 50.00 after ***************************************************************** 2005 88 stories Sun lovers and sun worshippers – do you need somewhere sunny to listen to some chilled songs and lounge about on a Saturday afternoon? Look no further than 88 in Norwood – every second Saturday (1st October, 15 October and so on) they’re having music, cocktails and good food out on their deck – see you there! “Lamb on the spit eat-as-much-as-you-like buffet (at R70 a head), cocktail bar supplied by Thirst, the immaculate sounds of the Edith & Sasha jazz ensemble, as well as the usual top-ranked 88 DJ’s spinning chilled tunes outside. Be sure not to miss out, the festivities kick off at 1pm and don’t forget your sun block…” 88 on Frances Behind the Woolworths in Norwood Tel: 011 72 88 417 Email: Debbie...
‘Who killed Mr Drum’ in London – “Init”.
Thanks to Lozzer for the heads up – London South African’s and everyone else that lives there, get down to the Riverside Studio’s in Hammersmith for some homebrewed stories… Let us know what it’s like! CLICK HERE FOR THE SITE Who Killed Mr. Drum? by Fraser… Grace/Sylvester Stein A true story based on the book by Sylvester Stein Director Paul Robinson In 1950s Joburg nothing stirs… IT JUMPS! Sophiatown, ‘the South African Harlem’ Drum Magazine’s team of brilliant young journalists are bringing black fashion ‘n fun to the streets of Jo’burg. And its star writers are having more fun than most. Can ‘Shakespeare of the Shebeens’ Themba is flaunting the law by loving a white girl, and Chief reporter Henry ‘Mr Drum’ Nxumalo is steadily exposing apartheid’s cruelties. But now Sophiatown is being destroyed, crushed by bulldozers. And Henry lies dead, stabbed in the street .. Based on Sylvester Stein’s searing memoir, Who Killed Mr Drum? is the gripping new production from Treatment...
We will be back!
