South Africa on Screen
South Africa is having a media moment. Tales about the fascinating country have popped up regularly at the cinema recently, culminating in two successful, though very different, films in the last year (District 9 and Invictus). However, you may have been seeing South Africa on screen more than you think. The country has built itself a reputation as a great filming location for international companies, acting as a background for Hollywood and Bollywood movies and a myriad of adverts.
Blood Diamond (2006) shot in Mozambique, London and South Africa
Although one of the most developed countries in Africa, it’s taken South Africa a long time to reach this point. Apartheid not only stopped investment from outside, but it also stunted the growth of the media industry inside South Africa itself – the government only allowed television to be introduced in 1976 because it was seen as a threat to the status quo.
After 1994 it became acceptable for international companies to spend money in the country, and the many assets of the Rainbow Nation were made visible. One of the major attractions is that South Africa can be made to look like any place in the world – Kentucky in Racing Stripes, Iraq in the recent Sky drama Strike Back, Vietnam in Uwe Boll’s straight-to-video Tunnel Rats, and even the Midlands in the upcoming BBC adaptation of Women in Love.
Blood and Oil (2010) – BBC drama filmed in South Africa
The sheer variety of terrain (rolling hills, grasslands, semi-desert, stunning coast lines) and cityscapes that can pass for Europe or America mean that location scouts have unprecedented choice in a small area. Add in the beautiful summer weather during our winter months, and the fact that the country is largely English-speaking, and it is obvious why people want to film there.
Of course, there is another reason that can’t be ignored. Dollars and Pounds go a long way in South Africa thanks to great exchange rates. In 2008, the Department of Trade and Industry added an extra sweetener of 15% tax rebates for foreign companies, after the film industry was classified as an area of possible economic growth. Official estimates from the department are that the film industry currently employs around 30,000 people, and injects 5.5 Billion Rand in economic activity every year. But money isn’t everything – foreign companies also transfer skills to local people.
So, it is clear why companies are choosing to use South Africa as a multi-functional and good value backdrop, but why have there been so many South African-set stories recently? Skin, Goodbye Bafana and Catch a Fire have all been made in the last few years. With any historical event, it takes a bit of distance to fully understand what happened and especially to express that on film. Apartheid ended 16 years ago, and writers are now confident enough to address the issues. Perhaps more importantly, audiences are now ready to watch.
Tsotsi (2005) filmed on location in Johannesburg, South Africa
Of course, all these films are foreign takes on events, with foreign directors, actors and money backing them. The story of South Africa is not really being told by South Africans, and particularly not by black South Africans. Gavin Hood’s Oscar-winning Tsotsi was a rare home-grown international success, but such films addressing contemporary South Africa are really few and far between.
With Halle Berry about to begin filming Dark Tide in the country and the new Cape Town Film Studios complex set to open this year, it seems that South Africa is going to be permanently on Hollywood’s radar. Let’s just hope that it’s not at the expense of hearing some true South African voices.
