Andrea Chothia
audiences are not tired of stories of the past – Action Kommandant: The Untold Story of a Guerrilla’s successat the prestigious Encounters South African International Documentary Festival is proof of this.
Nadine Cloete’s debut film won the Audience Award at the 18th ceremony this year.
“There is a misconception in the film industry that telling the story of apartheid is old. For this award, people could have voted for whichever documentary they wanted to, and voting for Action Kommandant shows what kinds of stories people are interested in.”
Action Kommandant, one of 57 documentaries shown from across the globe, had a record seven sold-out screenings at the festival, with about 10 000 people watching it.
Audiences also voted Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise as best international film.
Newly appointed festival director Darryl Els said: “This year’s festival was an incredible success, with strong audience responses to a wide variety of films.”
Action Kommandant explores the story of student and anti-apartheid activist Ashley Kriel, and the various chapters of his life. He frequently used the slogan “Freedom or death, victory is certain”.
The documentary is up for another award at the Durban International Film Festival and will be screened today, on Thursday and Sunday.
Bradley van Sitters, 42, from Lavender Hill, said: “Ashley Kriel put his fingerprints on the minds of South Africans by fighting against injustice at such a young age.
“Nobody told Ashley to be politically inclined, he just knew he had a part to play.”
Van Sitters added that the heroes during the liberation struggle do not always get proper recognition and that Action Kommandant was therefore a breath of fresh air.