Aside from strutting their stuff on the red carpet, South African actors are standing tall at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. The Harvesters/Die Stropers premiered on Monday where it received a standing ovation after the credits had rolled.
The movie tells the story of an isolated and conservative white farming region in South Africa where two boys struggle for power and fight for their heritage. The movie is competing for the coveted Caméra d’or award.
It is directed by Etienne Kallos and stars SA actors Juliana Venter, Alex van Dyk, Lily Bertish, director Etienne Kallos, Joshua Anderson, Brent Vermeulen and Jan-Daniel Naude. The festival wraps up on Saturday the 19th of May. Australian actress Cate Blanchett is the President of this year’s jury.
Some of the cast members at the festival.
There is no word yet as to when The Harvesters/Die Stropers is opening at South African movie houses.
The Cannes Festival’s official website describes the movie as follows :
Synopsis : South Africa, Free State region, isolated stronghold to the Afrikaans white ethnic minority culture. In this conservative farming territory obsessed with strength and masculinity, Janno is different, secretive, emotionally frail. One day his mother, fiercely religious, brings home Pieter, a hardened street orphan she wants to save, and asks Janno to make this stranger into his brother. The two boys start a fight for power, heritage and parental love.
