Cape Town - Locals excitedly seized the opportunity to get involved in a local film production, with hundreds of aspiring artists and jobseekers lining up to audition for a part in “The Lagoon”, over the weekend.
“The Lagoon” co-writer and producer Heather Krieger said although auditions were scheduled to start at 10.30am, people started queueing from as early as 6am, with around 350 people arriving at the Grassy Park Civic Centre on Saturday.
“Some arrived not knowing what they wanted to apply for. They just wanted a job. Any job. It was quite heartbreaking to see such desperation to just earn something for a short while. Our people need opportunities,” Krieger said.
Last week, the Cape Argus put out a call for auditions for the Bridgetown Theatre Company’s (BTC) local feature film, featuring local established and first time actors.
“The hopeful actors and actresses who arrived from afar as De Doorns and the Eastern Cape, many for a first-time audition, nervously waited their turn to audition for the lead and supporting roles.”
Those selected for the main and supporting cast will be made on January 28, 2023.
Filming for the production will commence in March 2023, in Grassy Park/Zeekoevlei and Lavender Hill.
The film will look at how a cohesive community, surrounded by a pristine lagoon, is “rocked from within by a tsunami of gender-based violence, eco-environmental degradation, human trafficking, e-commerce corruption, injustice, cybercrime, and unspeakable evil”.
Grassy Park resident Margo Johannisen, 57, said the auditions created a lot of excitement in the area.
“It was the first time that something like this happened so everybody’s on a high and excited because we’ve got a lot of talent in Grassy Park, and for this to come to the area, it just adds to that excitement.”
BTC secretary Zelda Hintsa said filming would create job 170 job opportunities.
This includes the main and supporting cast, extras, crew, admin staff, production team, caterers, location owners, etc.
BTC secured funding from the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme and the National Film and Video Foundation for the film.