Heartlines starts filming new adventure drama in Joburg

Heartlines, the multimedia NGO behind popular comedy Nothing for Mahala and the Emmy-nominated movie Hopeville, has started production on a new adventure drama set in Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal province. Written and directed by Craig Freimond and produced by Robbie Thorpe, Beyond the River tells the story of two men from vastly different walks of life who are brought together by their determination to win gold in one of the toughest river races on the planet, the Dusi Canoe Marathon.

There are a number of obstacles standing between them and their dream, however, as the films synopsis outlines: One has a marriage on the verge of collapse. The other is on the run from the law, and his so-called life. Then theres the minor detail of them never before having competed as a team

Somewhere along the river of their lives, theres a confluence that changes both of them - forever.

Based on the true story of Siseko Ntondini and Piers Cruikshanks, Beyond the River promises to deliver a nail-biting adventure story about the triumph of the human spirit.

Filming began on Monday, 26 October in Johannesburg, where the focus will be on training sequences at Orlando Power Park Dam and Emmarentia Dam, homes of the Soweto Canoe and Recreation Club and the Dabulamanzi Canoe Club respectively.

Shooting will then move to the Dusi Marathon race venue in the picturesque Valley of a Thousand Hills in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Beyond the River is being produced for Heartlines by Quizzical Pictures, with funding from the National Lotteries Commission and additional backing from sponsors Discovery, Vodacom and Adreach.

The film stars Lemogang Tsipa, best known for his role in the television drama series When We Were Black, as Duma, and Grant Swanby (Blood Diamond, Invictus, Mandela - Long Walk to Freedom) as Steve. Others in the cast include

Heartlines has run a number of values-based media campaigns anchored by films, starting in 2006 with a series of eight movies and the associated campaign 8 Weeks. 8 Values. One National Conversation.

It followed this up in 2009 with a campaign based on the TV series followed by the film Hopeville, which went on the win a Rose dOr, two Saftas and an Emmy nomination.

Its most recent campaign provided people with tools for dealing better with their money, while challenging their attitudes and getting them talking about the issue through the comedy feature Nothing For Mahala.

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