Five reasons 'Kanarie' is a gem, even if you're not Afrikaans
08/08/2019
Kanarie, Schalk Bezuidenhouts breakout movie, is now streaming first on Showmax in South Africa. Schalk stars as Johan Niemand, a fashion-loving gay teen in small-town South Africa in 1985, a time of apartheid, religious conservatism and war, an era when not even his idol Boy George had dared to come out publicly as gay yet.
When Johan is called up to serve his compulsory two-year military training, he escapes the border war by joining The South African Defence Force Church Choir and Concert Group, known as Die Kanaries (The Canaries), where he discovers his true self through hardship, camaraderie, first love and the liberating freedom of music.
If you missed Kanarie at the cinema - and it was only the 10th most popular South African movie at the box office last year, so clearly most of us did - here are five reasons not to sleep on one of the most fun but moving South African films yet:
#1. Schalk Bezuidenhout is one of our favourite comedians, but might be an even better actor
Schalk is one of South Africas top comedians: the winner of two Comics Choice Awards, described by Skhumba recently as the one white comedian loved by black people.
But in Trippin With Skhumba earlier this year, Schalk confessed that he wanted to be an actor before he thought of being a comedian.
On the basis of his performance in Kanarie, acting might still be his true calling, as much as we hope we still get to laugh with him often on stage. The Los Angeles Times compared him to the legendary Buster Keaton while praising his clear talent for drama and the way he superbly juggles Johans many moods and modes, while FilmThreat raved about his confident, raw performance.
Schalk earned a 2019 South African Film and Television Award nomination for this role and won Best Supporting Actor last year as Danny in Hotel, but were pretty sure hes just getting started.
Just be warned: hes missing his trademark knitted jerseys, moustache and wild hair in Kanarie, so you might not recognise him immediately in the movie, but just look out for the guy in the wedding dress in the opening scene...
#2. Germandt Geldenhuys is hilarious, and can seriously sing
Schalk is ably supported by the rest of the cast, particularly Hannes Otto as his love interest, Wolfgang, and Germandt Geldenhuys as the irrepressible Ludolf, in a hilarious performance that won Best Supporting Actor at Silwerskerm and earned a SAFTA nomination.
As FilmThreat put it, Ludolfs happy to see anyone and loves to chat with them about whatever. While it sounds like it may be annoying, Geldenhuys finds the right balance of pluck and genuine sympathy to make the character work.
Germandt won the 2017 Huisgenoot Tempo For Actor of the Year: Soap Operas for his role as Louis Koster in Binnelanders; earned a Fleur Du Cap nomination for Sweeney Todd; and won the Grand Champion Award for singing at The World Performing Championships, which will surprise no one who hears him sing in Kanarie.
#3. Christiaan Olwagen is a director to watch
After being named Standard Bank Young Artist Of The Year for Theatre in 2015, Christiaan Olwagen moved into cinema, writing and directing three acclaimed Afrikaans films in three years: 2016s Johnny Is Nie Dood Nie, 2018s Chekhov adaptation Die Seemeeu, and Kanarie, with a fourth, Poppie Nongena, premiering at kykNETs Silwerskermfees this month.
Kanarie is an impressive mix of genres - a coming-of-age, coming out, musical love story war film - that is sometimes funny, sometimes heart-warming, and occasionally tragic, and that moves from raw reality to music-video-style flights of fancy and back again seamlessly. Its an incredible balancing act but one that Christiaan makes look easy. While he may not be famous outside the Afrikaans community yet, hes still in his early 30s and wed put money on that changing soon... As BusinessDay put it, hes streets ahead of other directors.
#4. Kanarie is inspired by a true story
In Kanarie, Schalk and the rest of the cast are helped by what The Los Angeles Times described as a first-rate script, which director Christiaan Olwagen co-wrote with musical director Charl-Johan Lingenfelder, based on Charls own experiences in the army choir.
As Charl told BizCommunity, I believe one of the strengths of the film is the fact that it is a very personal story and that it is true. People are very surprised when they find out that approximately 95% of it is factual. Its not often you get to watch a film of this nature where the narrative is so close to what really happened. We didnt have to invent a whole lot - it was all just ready to be told.
#5. Kanarie is a funny, moving tale about standing out, even when you just want to fit in
Sometimes we sell things short when we pitch them as good South African films. Kanarie is a good film. Period.
It has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes; a 7.9 rating on IMDB; and has won 15 awards around the world. As The Los Angeles Times put it, Kanarie ably hits the high notes... rich, poignant and finely observed... Or as The Hollywood Reporter said, while predicting an international theatrical run, Kanarie is a winning combination of thoughtfulness and exuberance. Similarly, Indiewire picked it as one of seven films to watch at Outfest, North Americas premier LGBTI festival, calling it a surprisingly fun musical about the effects of nationalism on a tender soul, and the bond of brotherhood among misfits.
So whether or not youre gay, or Afrikaans, or want to support proudly South African products, Kanarie is the film for you, next time youre in the mood for an uplifting musical love story about finding individuality in a world of oppression and uniformity. Watch it first on Showmax at https://www.showmax.com/eng/movie/rsdn5ru4-kanarie.
Embedded video for Five reasons 'Kanarie' is a gem, even if you're n
LINK: | http://www.filmcontact.com/news/south-africa/five-reasons-kanarie-gem-... |
See more stories from filmcontact |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
02/05/2024
Reality Slips Away in the Eerie I Saw the TV Glow
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 18: Jane Schoenbrun introduces the 2024 Sundance Film Festival I Saw the TV Glow premiere at the Library Center Theatre in Park City...
02/05/2024
Meet the 10 Hampton University Students Receiving Spotify NextGen's Scholarship
Spotify is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, and th...
02/05/2024
Advertisers and Creators Come Together at Our First-Ever Spotify Sparks in London
With more than 600 million users around the world tuned in to Spotify, there'...
02/05/2024
Gear up for the 2024 Cycling Grand Tours on Australia's Home of Cycling, SBS
Gear up for the 2024 Cycling Grand Tours on Australia's Home of Cycling, SBS Media releases All of the rivalry begins with the Giro d'Italia this we...
02/05/2024
New SBS documentary dives into one of Australia's greatest underdog stories of all time!
New SBS documentary dives into one of Australia's greatest underdog stories ...
02/05/2024
Alone Australia cements its place as one of Australia's biggest hits of 2024
Alone Australia cements its place as one of Australia's biggest hits of 2024 2 May, 2024 Media releases Alone Australia has cemented its place as one o...
02/05/2024
The Making of All of Us Strangers
I always like to base my lighting choices in reality, says cinematographer Jamie D. Ramsay, SASC. For his recent collaboration with writer-director Andrew Haig...
02/05/2024
Hiltron Introduces Field-Upgradable Motorisation Kit for CPI 2385 Satcom Antenna
Accompanying image shows Hiltron's new HMAM-based field-upgradable motorisation kit for the CPI 2385 satellite communications antenna. Backnang, Germany,...
02/05/2024
Millennium Space Systems Selects L3Harris to Build Space Development Agency Electro-Optical Infrared Payloads
MELBOURNE, Fla., May 2, 2024 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has received a c...
02/05/2024
Samba TV Launches New Generative AI Ad Solution
NEW YORK Samba TV is debuting new capabilities for Samba AI, the company's suite of generative AI technologies. Samba AI's new capabilities provide a re...
02/05/2024
Television Academy Foundation Names Anne Vasquez Executive Director
LOS ANGELES The Television Academy Foundation has announced the appointment of Anne Vasquez as its executive director effective May 13....
02/05/2024
SAG-AFTRA to License Nielsen Streaming Data
NEW YORK SAG-AFTRA has inked a deal with Nielsen to become its third-party provider of streaming content measurement and has announced that it will use the Niel...
02/05/2024
Cineverse Unveils Public Beta of AI-Powered cineSearch
LOS ANGELES Cineverse has debuted cineSearch, its previously announced new content search and discovery service in public Beta....
02/05/2024
Can AI find a way to reduce the broadcast industry's energy consumption?
OpenDrives Trevor Morgan asks if AI has the answer to making data centres for the media and entertainment industry more sustainable By Contributor Published:...
02/05/2024
Bill Baggelaar Asks the Questions: An Unfiltered Look at Media Supply Chain Transformation
Bill Baggelaar Asks the Questions: An Unfiltered Look at Media Supply Chain Tran...
02/05/2024
Two Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards
Two Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions. By...
02/05/2024
Viewers Call Finding New TV Content Frustrating' in Comcast Advertising Report
A majority of viewers 51% said the difficulty in finding new content on TV c...
02/05/2024
Programming Legend Art Moore Retiring After 53 Years With ABC Stations
Art Moore, who headed production of long-running syndicated series, including Live, said he plans to retire in September as VP of programming for WABC New York....
02/05/2024
Nexstar Will Move The CW Affiliation to WGN Chicago
Nexstar Media Group, which owns The CW, said the network's affiliation will be moving to Nexstar-owned WGN Chicago....
02/05/2024
Future Today Puts First Original Shows on Fawesome Channel (NewFronts)
Future Today said that it plans to launch the first original shows on its Fawesome streaming channel....
02/05/2024
Behind the Music' Returns on Paramount Plus
Behind the Music is back on Paramount Plus with new episodes May 1. Those profiled in the season two episodes are Bell Biv DeVoe, Trace Adkins and Wolfgang Van ...
02/05/2024
All American: Homecoming' Returns on The CW July 8
All American: Homecoming starts season three on The CW Monday, July 8, while season two of 61st Street kicks off Monday, July 22....
02/05/2024
Jerry Seinfeld's Pop-Tart Movie Starts on Netflix May 3
Unfrosted, a movie about the race to create a game-changing breakfast pastry, such as, say, the Pop-Tart, debuts on Netflix May 3. Jerry Seinfeld directs, his f...
02/05/2024
Former BT Sport COO Jamie Hindhaugh joins EMG / Gravity Media
Charlie Cubbon has also been appointed chief operating officer By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 2, 2024 Charlie Cubbon has also been appointed chief ope...
02/05/2024
Durable Goods Signs Lionel Coleman
Durable Goods Signs Lionel Coleman Brie Clayton May 2, 2024 0 Comments Durable Goods has signed multi-hyphenate director Lionel Coleman for commercial...
02/05/2024
Hitsujibungaku's Music Video GO!!! Shot by Kyotaro Hayashi with Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K
Hitsujibungaku's Music Video GO!!! Shot by Kyotaro Hayashi with Blackmagic C...
02/05/2024
Diamond Sports RSNs Go Dark On Comcast Systems
Bally Sports Regional Networks were taken off Comcast's systems on April 30 when their existing distribution agreement expired and Diamond Sports Group was ...
02/05/2024
Diamond Sports Group, DirecTV Renew Distribution Deal
SOUTHPORT, Conn. and EL SEGUNDO, Calif. Diamond Sports Group ( Diamond or the Company ) and DirecTV have announced that they have reached a multi-year renewal...
02/05/2024
Three Nexstar Stations to Become CW Affiliates
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group has announced that its owned and operated television stations in Chicago, Illinois (DMA #3), Norfolk, Virginia (DMA #43), and ...
02/05/2024
FCC, FTC Ink Agreement to Cooperate on Net Neutrality Enforcement
WASHINGTON, D.C. The Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate consumer protection ...
02/05/2024
Haivision Celebrates 20th Anniversary
MONTREAL Haivision Systems Inc. is marking its 20th anniversary by detailing some of the accomplishments and developments that have helped the company become a ...
02/05/2024
Agora Introduces Adaptive Video Optimization Technology
SANTA CLARA, Calif. Agora today unveiled its Adaptive Video Optimization (AVO) technology that uses machine learning to adjust parameters dynamically at every s...
02/05/2024
Study: Streaming Market Is Saturated But Subscriptions Continue to Grow
NEW YORK Kantar has released a new study showing the U.S. streaming market has hit a saturation point, with the household penetration rate stagnating and at nea...
02/05/2024
Samba TV To Spotlight New Capabilities For Generative AI Ad Solution
NEW YORK Samba TV is debuting new capabilities for Samba AI, the company's suite of generative AI technologies, at the 2024 IAB (Interactive Advertising Bur...
02/05/2024
GSTV Pumps Up Research, Programming at NewFront
GSTV, the network that programs screens at gas stations, will be talking about new research and new programming at its NewFront presentation Wednesday....
02/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media Taps Jamie Hindhaugh To Head Up UK, US, Australia, and Middle East; Names Charlie Cubbon as COO
EMG / Gravity Media appoints Charlie Cubbon COO and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO...
02/05/2024
Watch SVG NEXT Conversations, Ep. 2: How XR and Other Emerging Technologies Are Transforming the Landscape of M&E'
Watch SVG NEXT Conversations, Ep. 2: How XR and Other Emerging Technologies Are...
02/05/2024
SVG Sit-Down: Program Productions' Bob Carzoli, Integrum's Kathy Reiland on the Strategy Behind the New Alliance
SVG Sit-Down: Program Productions' Bob Carzoli, Integrum's Kathy Reiland...
02/05/2024
YES Network App Logs Record Usership With New Expanded Pick-N-Play Live Interactivity, YES Rewards
YES Network App Logs Record Usership With New Expanded Pick-N-Play Live Interact...
02/05/2024
Rohde & Schwarz presents its test solutions at CCW 2024 that enable a successful migration to mission-critical broadband
Rohde & Schwarz presents its test solutions at CCW 2024 that enable a successful...
02/05/2024
Baselight training. Paris. Les Lapins Bleus. 27-31 May 2024
Baselight accredited training partner, Les Lapins Bleus, is conducting a five day Baselight training course in Paris in May. Location: Paris Dates: 27-31 May ...
02/05/2024
Skeem Saam: Wednesday's episode, 1 May 2024 [video]
Skeem Saam: Wednesday's episode, 1 May 2024 [video]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soa...
02/05/2024
Prison Journalism: It's alright not to have
Prison Journalism: It's alright not to haveWesley Leong was incarcerated at the age of 15 in 1996 at Pollsmoor Prison. He is currently part of Restore's...
02/05/2024
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Thandiswa's quest to reclaim Caesar's house intensifies
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Lulu navigates the complexities of her relationshi...
02/05/2024
GeForce NOW Delivers 24 A-May-zing Games This Month
GeForce NOW brings 24 new games for members this month. Ninja Theory's highly anticipated Senua's Saga: Hellblade II will be coming to the cloud soon -...
02/05/2024
NVIDIA AI Microservices for Drug Discovery, Digital Health Now Integrated With AWS
Harnessing optimized AI models for healthcare is easier than ever as NVIDIA NIM,...
02/05/2024
ARRI announces the ALEXA 35 Live - Multicam System
ARRI announces the ALEXA 35 Live - Multicam System posted: 02/05/2024 Arri Alexa 35 Live - Multicam System ARRI announces the ALEXA 35 Live - Multicam Sy...
02/05/2024
The Women': Author shines light on forgotten women in war
The Women': Author shines light on forgotten women in warThe bestselling author of The Nightingale', Kristin Hannah, has outdone herself with her new h...