Hip hop dance film set for release in South Africa

Featuring South African musicians Yasirah Bhelz and Robyn Brophy, the film is about “finding the strength to dance again despite life and it’s unexpected, heart-breaking curveballs”.

Adding to the cast are well known South African dancers such as Isidingo actor Maurice Paige, Tarryn Alberts, Sandile Zulu, Jason Meyer and Duane Lawrence as well as actors Eric Uys and Lionel Newton.

PLnR was written by Steven Pillemar, directed by Ziggy Hofmeyr and co-produced by Mayenzeke Baza and Pascal Schmitz, while Indigenous Film Distribution has been given the responsibility to circulate the film in South Africa.

The film, which is the third South African movie of its kind, is a product of Joziewood Films and was shot at 10 locations in Johannesburg including popular Soweto dance club Zone 6.

“We have the hottest soundtrack you're ever going to hear in a local film, with songs from Sketchy Bongo, Da Les, Just Robyn, Dot COM, Kimosabe, Sibot, Makizar and a bunch of others. We also have one European trap song,” Hofmeyr told Music In Africa.

Bhelz, who plays the female lead in the film, said: “It’s been amazing to be given such creative freedom, both in terms of an actress and a musician. This is a rare opportunity to showcase both my acting and music, and the film is the perfect vehicle for this.”

Other tracks on the PLnR soundtrack include Bhelz’s ‘Change My Walk’ and ‘Party Stupid’, Just Robyn’s ‘Moon Child’, DJ Radix’s ‘Pretty Black Rose’, Da Les’s ‘Bussit’, Coyote Kisses’ ‘Illusion’ and others.

Asked how the music that was selected had shaped the theme of the film, Hofmeyr said: “The music dictates the dance moves, and we have a mix of EDM, house, hip hop and trap beats. Following that we have dance styles in the film that move from popping to breaking, krumping, sbujwa and even some waacking. It's hard to say if the music dictates or follows the lifestyle but either way there has to be that synergy between the music and themes of the film, which all work together.”

Hofmeyr, who has been directing music videos since the early 2000s, said connecting music to film was an art in itself. “You have to balance a good film with a great soundtrack. You can’t have one without the other. We also have to be realistic about budgets. I had to find the indie labels and unsigned artists to work with because the price that the major labels ask for is just out of our range.”

Hofmeyr said the film was a reflection of the South African music industry’s success. “It's a sweet feeling to have music from a pool of this talent in the film, but I think that only more recently have our films begun to feel like they can compete internationally, whereas as our music has been on the level for the last 10 to 15 years,” he said.

“South Africa is making seriously good music, on international levels of production. Our music now is so good that it’s hard to know what’s local and what’s not. The only giveaway is the language. Afro-pop seems to be leading the way for African artists to go mainstream internationally, but house music has been streaming the world for even longer. I've heard that SA is in fact the biggest creator and supplier of house music to the world.”

Hofmeyr also touched on what had inspired him to make PLnR. “As a filmmaker, the dream is to make a movie for the big screen. I spent months researching the lifestyle of the dancers and based on their struggles I came up with the story outline, which Steven Pillemer, one of our country’s finest writers, turned into a screenplay.”

Indigenous Film Distribution CEO Helen Kuun said: “Dance films are traditionally a major hit with fans. Blending storytelling with great hip hop and house moves and a high-energy soundtrack, they speak directly to their audiences in a way that regular films are not able to.”