I recently watched “Indemnity”, a local action film that certainly puts you on the edge of your seat. The actors embody the characters so well that it becomes easy to buy into the characters.
“Indemnity” tells the story of an ex-fireman suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who, unable to return to work, turns to alcohol.
Theo Abrahams portrayed by Jarrid Geduld in the movie deals with a series of unprecedented events that rock his world when his journalist wife Angela (Nicole Fortuin) is murdered – and he is the prime suspect.
He soon finds himself on the run from the police for a murder he didn’t commit, or so he thinks.
Connections are revealed between his past, the origin of his PTSD, the murder of his wife and a government conspiracy with chilling implications
When he first got the script, Geduld feltthe film would be “an incredible opportunity for the SA film industry to showcase their skill sets”, which they certainly did.
Cape Town serves as a backdrop for the thriller and the the city certainly comes alive beautifully on screen.
Geduld slips so easily into his role that you wouldn’t think he underwent three months of intense training.
In an interview with the actor, he explained that keeping disciplined was not an issue for him when it came to his training, which ranged from high endurance, boxing, kick-boxing, jiu-jitsu, firearms training, body burns and stunt training.
Bagging the lead role is something the Cape Town born actor describes as an “opportunity of a lifetime”.
Geduld was director-writer Travis Taute’s first choice to portray the lead character.
“He was one of the first people I saw and I just knew he was going to be the character,” Taute shared.
“He brought such vulnerability and an empathetic nature that you can’t help but feel for him. He conveys so much emotion with just his eyes. At the end of the day there was no one else we wanted for the role.”
Hearing that he performed his own stunts, is just another testament to just how dedicated he was.
Training hard ensured no stunt would be scary for Geduld to execute, even jumping out the window of a high building.
“Nothing was scary for me, I trained hard enough to know that I will be able to do every single stunt the film needed me to do,” the actor said.
Geduld doing his own stunts added extra excitement to the film.
“Knowing that the stunt co-ordinator (Vernon Willemse) and the rest of the stunt team was by my side, every step of the way and checked every safety measure to make sure that I’d be safe in any situation, so all there was for me to do was to have fun and perform,” he added.
“Indemnity” is Taute’s directorial debut and Geduld describes working with him as “pure joy”.
“So easy to work with, he has a clear vision and shows so much heart and compassion for story telling,” Geduld praised.
The actor also sang the praises of co-stars Andre Jacobs, Gail Mabalane, Hlomla Dandala, Grant Powell and Abduragman Adams.
“The cast was stellar, the most experienced cast to have on any project. They are all good people,” he shared.
PTSD is at the heart of this story and with mental health being in the spotlight, the conversation is opening up.
Taute explained that, “When it comes to issues regarding mental health, there is such a terrible stigma attached to it. It’s considered weak.”
“This inability for men to converse in a constructive way about not being well emotionally and psychologically and being supported in that conversation. This is an important and powerful issue and I wanted to speak about it in this film,” he explained.
Geduld revealed he took care of himself while filming by resting, which he reveals as being very important.
“Finding quiet time in the midst of filming is a very important part of preparing for any role,” he added.
“Indemnity” had its overseas premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, Canada last year and was released in the US earlier this year. It is currently showing at cinemas, nationwide.