Walk for Whiplash - Creating community around a brave film

WALK FOR WHIPLASH CREATING COMMUNITY AROUND A BRAVE FILM

Local filmmaker Meg Rickards plans to walk 26 km tomorrow, 8 August, from the Cape Town City Hall to Muizenberg, dressed in a petticoat and with painted-on bruises.

She will be accompanied as far as Woodstock Police Station by a small group of women, including Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, former Deputy Minister of Health.

The walk is Rickards' way of building support and raising finance for the hard-hitting film Whiplash she will direct, a film that expresses a refusal to keep abuse secret or take the blame.

Based on the novel by Cape Town author Tracey Farren, the story is about Tess, a young prostitute. Ultimately about redemption, Whiplash is a brave story that can have a significant impact on popular cultural attitudes towards sexual violence, says Rickards.

Raising the full budget to produce the film has proven challenging. Says Producer Jacky Lourens: A significant part of the budget is already in place, thanks to the National Film and Video Foundation and Department of Trade and Industry. However, we have to raise the final 30% an additional R1 million before shooting can start.

The Whiplash team has started a crowd-funding campaign using the online crowd-funding website Thundafund (www.thundafund/whiplash.co.za) to solicit donations. The aim is to solicit donations starting at R100, says Lourens. Everyone who donates will get something back the rewards are designed to draw people into the film-making process to visit the set, watch the rough-cut, even be in the movie. We are also hoping to create a community of interest in the film in this way.

A number of non-governmental organizations have given their blessing to the film project and the walk. The Saartjie Baartman Centre, a centre for women and children who are survivors of abuse, will receive 10% of all funds raised on Friday and on Women's Day itself.

The walk for Whiplash will commence at 7am on Friday outside the City Hall on Friday. Supporters will walk with Rickards as far as the Woodstock Police Station and she will walk on alone to Muizenberg, to express vulnerability and as a pilgrimage for the project.

DETAILS OF PRESS CALL/WALK:

DATE: Friday 8 August 2014 (eve of Woman's day)

TIME: 07h00 for Press Call. Walk starts at 07h20

ROUTE: From Cape Town City Hall along the Main Road

ESTIMATED ARRIVAL: 15h00 at Surfers Corner, Muizenberg Beach

www.facebook.com/whiplashfilm

www.twitter.com/whiplashfilm

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Meg Rickards (Director) 078 181 5259/ Jacky Lourens (Producer) 083 485 6368/

Penny Gaines (Press) 082 554 0554/ Paul Egan (Publicity) 081 467 5855

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