Poena is Koning: the deeper meaning behind the Afrikaans comedy

Poena is Koning: The deeper meaning behind the Afrikaans comedyPoena is Koning is a 2007 coming-of-age movie, but there's a deeper backstory that explains the character's name. Here's more about it.

by Francois Jansen

30-04-2024 18:38

in Culture

Very old Vetkoek Paleis' to replace 7de Laan'? Photos: X/ @7delaan/@itsTyronePrins

Poena is Koning is a 2007 coming-of-age comedy movie.

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Have you seen it before?

The film is light-hearted and Afrikaans, about the misadventures of an Afrikaans boy from a typical conservative family.

It's from Willie Esterhuizen, who also created Vetkoek Paleis and Hester & Ester Bester.

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Was it funny?

Maybe it wasn't funny for everyone.

However, this movie has a deeper meaning.

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Poena is Koning: A 2007 Coming-of-Age Flick Poena is Koning is a 2007 Afrikaans-language comedy.

You could call the movie crude or rude, and you'd probably be right. It's meant to be dirty, focusing on being the Afrikaans American Pie.

Poena is the story's main character.

His mission?

Having sex before graduation. However, things go wrong the whole time.

The movie uses traditional coming-of-age genre tropes, including focusing on tragedies and crises' happening to characters.

Poena is Koning: More about the movie Poena is Koning starred singer Robbie Wessels alongside Willie Esterhuizen himself.

It's a typical crude comedy. The movie had an 18+ rating.

It's a lot like his earlier flick Lipstiek Dipstiek: dirty and inappropriate.That's the movie's point.

The movie is all about misadventures , like its description says, however there's more to the story than this.

Have you thought about the name Poena before?

Poena: The deeper meaning The word Poena doesn't sound like a typical Afrikaans name.

That's because it isn't.

It actually means punishment or penalty , according to AncientLanguages.org.

The name sounds weird because it's meant to. The character spends most of the movie unhappy: tortured and punished!

It's where the word subpoena comes from.

Have you ever thought about this?

Who knew cringe comedy could be insightful?

About Willie Esterhuizen Willie Esterhuizen is a South African filmmaker and producer.

You might know him for Vetkoek Paleis or appearing in Faan se Trein. You might also know him from various other productions: he also has cameos in other movies.

Many considered the Koning movie a step too far. Others loved it, making the movie a popular home DVD release.

Hey, DVDs were still cool back then. However today it's on Blu-ray.

How many other jokes do you think are hidden in Willie Esterhuizen's work?

Let us know if you've spotted anything.

Tell us your thoughts Tell us your thoughts. We love hearing from our readers, and this includes you. Tell us your thoughts and feelings about what we've said. Send us an email at info@thesouthafrican.com.

READ MORE ARTICLES BY FRANCOIS JANSEN (ALEX J. COYNE)

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