Khalo Matabane presents e Films at Made Me at Durban International Film Festival

Returning to the Durban International Film Festival (17 - 27 July) for the second time, The Films That Made Me section presents a programme of five films selected by a prominent South African director to bear testament to the films that have shaped his or her directorial voice. This year, DIFF is delighted to announce that it has invited acclaimed South African filmmaker, Khalo Matabane (director of State of Violence and Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me), to curate a selection of films he considers influential in his cinematic career to festival audiences. The films will screen at 09:30 every day from July 18 to 22 (venue details below). Matabane explains his selection:

Do the Right Thing directed by Spike Lee (1989) is a film that made a huge impact on me - the reason I became a filmmaker. It is personal for me - the race questions it raises are timeless, the humour and its stylistic approach; A Short Film About Killing directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski (1988) is a film that has haunted me for years - Miros aw Baka's strong face, its strong anti-death penalty message and its artistic beauty. Kieslowski has made some other great films, such as Three Colours: Blue, but this film in particular has stayed with me; I am a big Scorsese fan. He is one of the few filmmakers whose early films I truly love with my head and heart. Raging Bull directed by Martin Scorsese (1980) is a film about broken men, about violence and, I would argue, is the director's finest film; Hitchcock is one of the greatest filmmakers in the world - period. I love many of his films, like Psycho, but Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) is, for lack of better phrase, really a mind ****!; The title of the Decline of the American Empire (Denys Arcand 1986) I love because it captures the state of the world in which we live. Denys Arcand is truly an under-appreciated filmmaker.

Khalo Matabane was born June 18, 1974 in Ga Mphahlele, a village in Limpopo, South Africa. He has directed numerous documentaries, drama series, campaigns, commercials, taught about cinema and politics at schools. Along with his work as a filmmaker, Khalo Matabane also occasionally writes about cinema and politics. His first feature film State of Violence (2010) screened to critical acclaim at Toronto and the Berlinale. Set in Johannesburg, it is the story of a man who wife gets killed in what seems like a random act of violence. He goes on a journey searching for the killers only to find out that he is the son of a man he killed in the 1980's during the struggle in the township.

Khalo's newest film, Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me will open the documentary section of DIFF on Friday, 18 July at 19:00 at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre. The film seeks to find out if Mandela's philosophies of forgiveness, reconciliation and freedom resonate currently in a world that is plagued with injustice and social inequalities.

SCREENING DETAILS FOR THE FILMS THAT MADE ME :

Fri 18 July, Suncoast 7, 09:30: Raging Bull d. Martin Scorsese (United States, 1980, 129 min)

Sat 19 July , Elangeni, 09:30: Rear Window d. Alfred Hitchcock (United States, 1954, 115 min)

Sun 20 July, Suncoast 7, 09:30: Do the Right Thing d. Spike Lee (United States, 1989, 120 min)

Mon 21 July, Elangeni, 09:30: A Short Film About Killing d. Krzysztof Kie lowski (Poland, United States, 1988, 85 min)

Tues 22 July, Elangeni, 0930: The Decline Of The American Empire d. Denys Arcand (Canada, 1986, 101 min)

The Durban International Film Festival takes place from 17 - 27 July 2014. The festival includes more than 200 theatrical screenings and a full seminar and workshop programme, as well as the Wavescape Film Festival, the Wild Talk Africa Film Festival, and various industry initiatives, including the 7th Talents Durban (in cooperation with Talents Berlinale ) and the 5th Durban FilmMart co-production market (in partnership with the Durban Film Office). For more information go to www.durbanfilmfest.co.za

The 35th Durban International Film Festival is organised by the Centre for Creative Arts at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (a special project of the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the College of Humanities, Professor Cheryl Potgieter) with support from the National Film and Video Foundation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development & Tourism, KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission, City of Durban, German Embassy, Goethe Institut, Industrial Development Corporation, KwaZulu-Natal Department of Arts and Culture and range of other valued partners.

LINK:	http://www.filmcontact.com/africa/south-africa/khalo-matabane-presents...
	See more stories from filmcontact

Most recent headlines