Durban - Auditions for a film set to be shot in Wentworth in August take place this weekend at the Cyril Carey Centre.
The film, Worth, is about an aspiring soccer star who is abused by his father, resulting in him getting injured and ending his soccer dreams. The boy is taken under the wing of a drug dealer, who wants him to become his next drug pedlar, and he soon becomes addicted to the drug known as “lean”, a highly addictive cough syrup.
Keenan Bouverie, 21,a resident was keen on auditioning for the lead role, said Worth was expected to give hope to the area.
“There’ll be a rise in employment and talent in the area. While it’s short-term employment, people will have a means of income and recognition. Wentworth has a lot of stigma against it, and the film may be able to replace this image with the talent they can project,” he said.
Community activist Taylene Safedien, 24, said the film would hopefully push the youth to pursue careers in the arts. “Our community is known to have the best soccer players, and the fact that the film touches base with it is fantastic. It helps the youth explore other career options and puts the community on the map.”
Executive producer Batana Vundla said the film aimed to raise awareness about the abuse of the codeine-based prescription cough medicine and the antidepressant Xanax.
“The aim of the film being shot in Wentworth was to highlight the drug, and the social ills surrounding why youth turn to it, which is in an attempt to make their pain go away,” he said. “Worth is a play on words, with the name of the community being Wentworth and for people to understand that this community has worth .”
Vundla hoped the 30-minute film would screen at next year’s Durban Film Festival as well as at the Berlin, Toronto and Cannes festivals.