Die Ontwaking' ( The Awakening'), a grisly, action-packed thriller that investigates the mind and motivations of an acutely intelligent serial killer, will open in selected cinemas around the country on 26 February 2016.
The film is the directorial debut of acclaimed production designer Johnny Breedt ( Paljas', Hotel Rwanda', A Long Walk to Freedom'), and has been hailed as a game-changer for South African film. Die Ontwaking' is based on the first book of the Abel' trilogy, Abel se Ontwaking' (translated into English as The Skin Collector'), by well-known crime writer Chris Karsten.
Abel Lotz (Gys de Villiers), the owner of a small art gallery specialising in African masks and artefacts, is also a curator of a different kind: he has an assortment of tattoos which he harvests from the bodies of his beautiful young victims for a collection that forms part of his cosmic journals', a bizarre project in which he retells the story of the cosmos.
Ella Nesser (Juanita de Villiers) is the attractive, but inexperienced police detective in charge of the case. Her task is to track down the serial killer before yet another young woman is murdered. She is in a long-term relationship with Bam (Armand Aucamp), and while she works hard to prove herself to her more senior colleagues Fred Lange (Gerard Rudolf) and Silas Sauls (Paul Eilers), she also has to deal with personal issues.
Abel is smart and his commitment to completing the cosmic journal is unwavering. On the eve of his fiftieth birthday, he decides it's time for a new look: he is to harvest a face from an unsuspecting victim, preferably female and beautiful, as his mother always wanted a daughter. The young cop would do nicely.
A few years ago I decided I wanted to direct a film in Afrikaans and I popped into a book store to look for inspiration, says Breedt. That's when I came across Chris Karsten's Abel se Ontwaking'. I read it on a flight to the USA and I could not put it down. I just knew that it could be turned into a fantastic film. The thriller genre is much darker than what I had in mind for my first feature film, but that was also what attracted me to the project. I wanted to challenge myself as a scriptwriter and director and this was the perfect vehicle. I was determined to take the audience with me into places that make people feel uncomfortable.
--
The film explores how twisted societies also produce traumatised, deeply wounded individuals, who eventually turn to violent behaviour. At its heart, Die Ontwaking' delves into the complex dynamic between the deranged, yet sympathetic Abel Lotz and the rookie police investigator who is resilient, fit and focused. The film plays with the mind of its audience and keeps people on the edge of their seats wondering what on earth goes on in the head of a psychopath.
The motif of skin - which covers the body while forming the membrane between the self and world - forms the basis for an investigation into the ways in which we see ourselves, the way we are perceived by others, and the ways in which our experiences become etched in our skins.
Die Onwaking' has been selected to screen on the opening night of Eden Independent Film Festival in George, which runs from 30 October to 1 November 2015. It will also play on the closing night of the South African Horror Fest in Cape Town on 6 November 2015.
Social media platforms:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DieOntwaking
Twitter: twitter.com/DieOntwaking
Instagram: instagram.com/dieontwaking/
Publicity:
Starburst Promosies
Alishia van Deventer
Mobile: 083 635 4717
email: alishia@starburstmusic.co.za
www.starburstmusic.co.za
Feature Films
South Africa
News
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Die Ontwaking' ( The Awakening'), a grisly, action-packed thriller that investigates the mind and motivations of an acutely intelligent serial killer, will open in selected cinemas around the country on 26 February 2016. 
