Cannes Short Film Corner 2018 - In the Light of the Fire
Escaping from a mental healthcare facility into the lush KwaZulu Natal forest, uSlindile - a woman trying to find her path - encounters three characters who remind her of her past and her fire.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Rafeeqah Galant
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Sometimes an idea comes and you don’t realise why the character is asking you to tell her story until after the script is written and you are asking yourself, should I even make this movie? This was the case for In the Light of the Fire. Slindile came almost fully formed, and took me on a journey in the writing process. By the end of it I realised I needed to make this movie not only to share her journey but also to allow the audience to take a few moments with themselves, in a dark cinema and go on an internal journey of their own.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Give yourself the opportunity to get lost in a natural landscape that is exquisitely beautiful and then while you are there you are going to ask yourself, is this place real? And if it isn’t real does it matter? The film follows Slindile as she tries to find answers for herself but what it does is makes the audience ask questions of themselves. Questions that relate to family, responsibility, deep loss and hurt as well as our human capacity to endure and move forward.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The personal journey that Slindile goes through in this film gives the audience an opportunity to reflect on their own personal journey. Because of this everyone has a slightly different interpretation of the film but the universal themes of healing after loss, the journey of recover, selfceare and preservation as well as the mental wellness and responsibility all connect to viewers in a personal way.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The script has moved from being something much bigger and elaborate to something more intimate. The first drafts saw more physical creative changes in the landscape to translate the ideas of the subconscious. As I spent more time with the character I understood that her journey was more internalised and what we saw needed to be more physically real to add the contract between reality and fantasy and allow the audience to draw their own conclusions. Once the story was ready to be filmed we spent a lot of time developing the language of the script. The film is shot in Zulu, the African language to the region the film is set in KwaZulu Natal, for me it was important that the language of the film reflected the people and landscape of the film. Then it was also important that the magic wasn’t lost in translation. I worked with two performance poets, Mbali Vilakazi and Kwazi Ndlangisa to translate the words from English to Zulu in a manner that was natural and authentic and didn’t lose it’s meaning.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve had a great response to the film locally, where we have shown it at small localised screenings to wide and diverse groupings. Always the audience have their own interpretation of where the line is drawn between Slindile’s real and imagined world. Often these interpretations reflect their own understanding of not only the story but of the world itself, a way for the personal to translate to the universal. The film also always inspires awe int he natural beauty of the landscape. By keeping our filters and lensing limited we managed to capture the landscape in its essence and its essence is breath taking
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I love that there are so many interpretations, it means the film is connecting to people on many levels and making them think about the characters journey in a meaningful way. It also means that the story will continue to expand, as new interpretations as meanings to the work. I hope that as the audience broadens there will be even more different ideas of what it means and also what it means to a particular viewer on a personal level.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The film needs to find its audience and highlighting the film will be a way to start that process. We want to spread the film far and wide to show a unique part of South Africa, a beautiful landscape and language. By connecting to an audience that enjoys moving stories we hope that some of your readers will be moved through Slindile if they have the opportunity to see the film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At the moment we are looking to get the film out into the world, we would like to find an audience that appreciates seeing and experience a new and different culture from their own. The beauty of the language and the landscape should draw an audience in and the journey should make them want to spend time with the characters. Partners who could help us connect to new and varied audiences would be very welcomed.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I want the film to inspire internal questions. It might not mean that there are lots of discussions around the movie but after the experience I would like individual viewers to feel a moment of reflection and to take the opportunity to look at that reflection for a moment in the quiet and safe space of a cinema. I would also love for an international audience to see a slightly different part of South Africa, with tall trees, deep greens and lush forest.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Is it real? Is she really in the forest or is it in her mind? The question is hard to answer as the magical elements of the interacting characters are grounded in the real, tangible feeling of the forest. To heighten this feeling we artistically chose to shoot with only natural light, limit the sound to only natural sounds and to have no music or score accompaniment. Directorially I wanted to have as few layers between the story and the audience as possible. This meant stripping the film down to it’s elemental parts and filming them as naturally as possible.
Would you like to add anything else?
Only thank you for taking the time to look at shorts, often forgotten smaller films are an opportunity for showcasing a different type of story which might be small but can still have impact.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am deep in writing a feature film with creative partner Matthew Griffiths, the film is called AYA and explores the relationship between Aya and her father John as they struggle through a harsh environment. It is so great to be writing through the eyes of a young woman, starting to realise what the world around her is asking her to be and choosing what type of woman she will grow into, all he while negotiating her relationship with her father.
On the shorts front I have written another short film, this one set on the Western Cape Coast, this film is called “Cotton Candy Skies” it follows a woman as she experiences her first heart break, unpacking the different shapes and sizes that heartbreak comes in.
Interview: May 2018
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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In the Light of the Fire
Escaping from a mental healthcare facility into the lush KwaZulu Natal forest, uSlindile - a woman trying to find her path - encounters three characters who remind her of her past and her fire.
Length: 13 minutes
Director: Rafeeqah Galant
Producer: Rafeeqah Galant
Writer: Rafeeqah Galant
About the writer, director and producer:
Rafeeqah Galant is a filmmaker working predominantly from Cape Town, South Africa. She is the co-founder of Echo Ledge Media working as a writer, director and designer, as well as a producer. Her professional goal is to tell stories, explore ideas and develop projects in way that is intuitive and effective. Her aim is to create meaningful content that will impact on South African audiences and then travel to the world stage showcasing our African perspective to the globe. With pride in our own stories, Rafeeqah wants to uplift and participate in the growing film community in South Africa and expand the African perspective.
Key cast: Mbali Vilakazi and Kwazi Ndalngisa
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists
Social media handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IntheLightoftheFireFilm
Twitter: echoledgetwit (production company)
Instagram: rafeeqahagalant (director)
Funders: The KwaZulu Natal Film Commission
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Currently in the Cannes short film corner for industry review, we are still putting the film into the world and will soon see which festivals we will be playing at.