Did you know that I was a movie director once? Well, more like a dude shooting a self-written script with a broken phone.
It’s true, I’ve been dreaming of writing my own movies since I was a kid. Movies are a wonderful form of storytelling that always resonated with me. I was never the book nerd, or the sporty kid or the smart kid but I was a movie nerd. And so one day, not so long ago I decided to write a couple of scripts, take out an old camera tripod, mount my broken phone to it and just shoot.
The first one called Verlate en Alleen was based on true events. I couldn’t offer anyone anything so I got my parents involved. And I have to say, they weren’t bad actors. You can watch the full short film on YouTube. And you can read more about the movie on IMDB or Letterboxd and while you’re there, please rate it.
The second one was a little more personal. I tried to capture my personal struggles in comical way. It was inspired by shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation and Modern Family. It’s called The Art of Unemployment: A Namibian Story. You can probably tell what it’s about from the title. If not, it’s basically about a guy who’s down on his luck trying to find a full-time job while battling stuff like depression.
It is also available on YouTube and you can read more about the behind the scenes stuff on IMDB or Letterboxd. Once again please try to leave a review so more people can find out about it. Or just forward the movies’ link to your contacts.
I can’t say filmmaking is in my blood, because it’s not some talent I have. I do however appreciate the work filmmakers and writers put into their craft. That’s part of the reason I took on this new journey, I want to learn more about the process and in a way make my dreams come true.
The more movies or TV shows I watch, the more I learn about the craft. The more time I spend with fellow creatives, the more my ideas keep flowing. I’m so blessed that I’ve been invited to several movie screenings in Cape Town. Unfortunately I can’t attend them all.
I recently got to attend a press screening for Dune: Part Two (review here) and it inspired me to keep trying. The movie itself was awesome, but what the crew and cast did was inspiring. A few years ago Denis Villeneuve wasn’t even the picture when you talked about filmmaking and now he is one of the best in his craft. Someday I hope to be one of the best in my craft.
Movies have always been my go-to. I’m not just talking about watching movies, but also learning and watching about the behind-the-scenes stuff. I always wanted to know what makes one movie better than the rest. The older I got the more I learned.
Being a movie reviewer (not critic) and going to movie, TV or pop culture related events really opened my eyes to a different kind of world. My almost four weeks here in Cape Town has been special. The acceptance and love I received from my peers is unmatched.
In Windhoek I always felt out of place, like I didn’t belong anywhere. And even though I still feel out of place at times, I feel more welcomed here. I feel like I can actually set goals again. I feel like I can hone my craft and maybe someday I will be ready to fully step into the writing world and the filmmaking world. Maybe one day I will feel like I have purpose again.
And I hope people will keep supporting me. As you know doing all this work without a steady income isn’t easy. That’s why I started this series, to keep people up to date on what I’m doing and to hopefully got some support. Anything like a like, comment or a share helps. And a subscription to my YouTube channel helps even more.
I shoot my videos with failing equipment and I would love to produce better quality content. If you know someone who can help me with this, then please reach out to me or send me their contact details.
I need all the help I can get. Being in Cape Town also isn’t cheap, so if you want to make a donation then please contact me or find my banking details below. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
Bank Name: Bank Windhoek
Account Holder: Barry De Klerk
Account Number: 8024920357
Branch Code: 260
Branch Name: Mariental
Account Name: EasySave Basic Bank Account
