Of Vevuzelas, films and BBQ’s

We rounded off the workshop in Khayelitsha with a Braai (a South African bbq). Half a cow appeared on a plate which was distributed and eaten with only the sauce that it came in. Being a vegetarian, I became a residual source of amusement as I made conversation around the bbq with an ice cream tub of rice and beans. On the final day students performed the process of filming, editing and up-loading from start to finish, with each group showing (thankfully) how much they’d learned. The good feeling at the end left us all with a smile. I then got lost dropping students home. Not a great move in the middle of a township, but thankfully James was with me and navigated us back to the main road.

Already ideas are flowing, with each production team agreeing on a programme schedule for the month. Roles have emerged quite naturally. The good directors, producers, presenters and editors are aware by now of who they are. Competition doesn’t show itself often, and the students are happy to share and co-operate so that everyone feels included. On the penultimate day we screened match reports shot during the South Africa / Guatemala match and subsequently edited. As a group we have been trying to work out how to do match reports when we have no access to the games and finally we struck gold, with three excellent reports shot in the shabeens  of Khayelitsha and Delft and showing the end to the match and celebrating, while a voice-over narrates the highlights and turning points in the game.

Yesterday was spent in the AFDA film school studio space, where CTV record their shows. Balt and I had selected two presenters from the group – Zintle and Pelisa – and they were given scripts with intros and links. The 28 minutes programme will be aired today (Wednesday) at six o’clock. James has been the star behind the show, taking on the responsibility of cutting it together after the decision was made to go ahead last Friday. Three cheers for James Farmer! The programme shows off match reports, pre-match reports from the Khayelitsha group, as well as video diaries from the young students at Gugulethu.

In Gugulethu we spent yesterday (Tuesday) shooting the first video diaries for broadcast on the BBC’s youth programme, created by 21CC. Also for broadcast, they shot vox-pops in the local market asking which team members of the public supported and who they thought would win. Naturally there was resounding endorsement for Bafana Bafana, with little defection. The sense of nation-building is acute here, flag fly from car bonnets, car wing mirrors are abalze with the South African colours. Imaginations have run wild and every car accessory possible adorns vehicles throughout the city. Vevuzela’s are a feature of every household and the national uniform seems to be a yellow and green Bafana Bafana t-shirt.

The World has finally reached South Africa to be welcomed by much noise and excitement!