Johannesburg International, The Jackie Selebi story is coming to a cinema near you early next year. It's a big story that involved the commissioner of police who was also the head of Interpol and it's a case that had a lot of press coverage and following. So we felt it would make for an awesome film. The trial had compelling characters, a lot of twists, turns, action, and drama, with a lot of consultation and contribution from Paul O'Sullivan. by Fungayi Kanyuchi
In an exclusive interview Tendeka Matatu unpacked the key characters that will headline this epic political thriller.
As has become the norm with international movies about African stories, lead roles are given to international actors who mostly do a bad accent job, a definite worry on such an epic picture.
We are looking to cast A-list Hollywood actors and top South African actors to play the roles of Thabo Mbeki and Jackie Selebi. It's important that we get talented South African actors to correctly portray and play these characters and execute them well, Matatu said.
Paul O'Sullivan, who played a key investigative role in the case, spoke of his feelings about a film being made from one of his most high profile cases. Well it's a good thing that people will get to see what happened in the many years over which this story happened. The filmmakers did consult me and I appointed out a few factual errors, but obviously I can only fully rate the credibility of the film after watching the final product, O'Sullivan said.
Johannesburg International is inspired by Jackie Selebi's corruption and bribery case, which involved big-time underworld figures and politicians.
In 2008 Selebi was suspended as police commissioner and immediately after he resigned as president of Interpol. In 2010 he was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was released on medical parole in 2012 after he was diagnosed with kidney failure, hypertension and diabetes.
Against a back drop of African films that usually focus on disease, famine, conflict and civil war, the story of the chief custodian of the law being charged, tried and found guilty of corruption is unquestionably fodder for a film maker.
While the story is unquestionably great, its merit will lie in the casting and execution.
http://www.thenewage.co.za
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Johannesburg International, The Jackie Selebi story is coming to a cinema near you early next year. It's a big story that involved the commissioner of police who was also the head of Interpol and it's a case that had a lot of press coverage and following. So we felt it would make for an awesome film. The trial had compelling characters, a lot of twists, turns, action, and drama, with a lot of consultation and contribution from Paul O'Sullivan. by Fungayi Kanyuchi 
