Shana Mans may not be a name that’s instantly recognisable. But don’t be fooled by the fact that she’s relatively new to the industry.
Her performance in “Dust”, which has been selected as the closing night film at the 41st Durban International Film Festival, proves that she has some serious acting chops.
Interestingly, she worked on “The Kissing Booth” and “The Kissing Booth 2” as a makeup artist and cameo actor, respectively.
She has been cast as Rachel in the dystopian local movie, which is written and directed by Pieter du Plessis.
The film follows the journey of Rachel (Shana Mans), her wounded father and a young boy the family took in.
They arrive at a remote farmstead looking for help only to realise the danger they were running away from is even greater here.
On her initial thoughts when she read the script, Mans revealed: “When I first read ‘Dust’, I immediately felt Rachel. I remember thinking: ‘This is the type of character I want to play’. You really don’t pick up scripts like this often.”
Expanding on her character’s traits, she offered: “Rachel is a fighter, she is a survivor.
I resonated with her the moment I read the script, especially her need to protect Isaac (Christian Gouws) because I am an older sister, too. It’s an inescapable feeling, the need to protect your siblings.
“You’ll do anything to keep them safe. She is also very young and needs to figure things out as she goes.
“She tests the boundaries in this new environment but quickly learns that this brings consequences.
“When Rachel realizes she needs to get out of this environment, she is in fight mode, nothing can stop her. She knows she is not destined to stay.”
On finding her feet in the industry, especially in front of the camera, she shared: “When I was a film student, at the end of my first year, we had the opportunity to cast to be extras on an international film.
“I got chosen and after one day on set, I asked production if I could stay as an intern. I got swept up by the makeup truck and got trained ‘from the bottom up’.
“I ended up working in the makeup truck for about four years. I’m pretty sure that is when I learned the most about acting. I
“ was watching great actors on big projects all day every day. When I turned 25, I decided to start following my dream.”
Her character is put through her paces from a psychological and emotional perspective.
She added: “I had very little time for research, so I decided to know her story and to know the schedule. From thereon, I took it day by day, just like Rachel does in the story.
“I knew Pieter would be there to guide me when I wasn’t sure, and he did. When I look back at it now, I would say I trusted Pieter a lot, and he trusted me.”
Given the huge drive to raise awareness around gender-based violence in SA, this film is a powerful watch.
Mans commented: “This film is about a strong young woman, fighting for survival.
“It was empowering to play a role like this in these times. I hope that viewers find Rachel sincere enough to be affected by her.
“That the story makes the viewer feel something, or walk away thinking about it. We make films to entertain, but if we could start a dialogue, that is a bonus.”