SABC 2 Father’s Day screening of ‘Boys Don’t Cry’
SABC 2 is scheduled to screen Teboho Pietersen’s personal documentary film titled ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ on the 21st of June 2015, father’s day. The film is relevant for father’s day as it explores the hard issues behind a man who sacrificed his life for the emancipation of his country but in the process was an absentee father. Teboho Pietersen questions if his grandfather’s heroic acts as an apartheid activist means he had to neglect his family. During the film he discovers that the issues of absenteeism continue to plague his family till today. Nhlanhla Hlongwane, a factual commissioning editor at the SABC described the film as a ‘deeply personal, revealing story of a legacy of apartheid and its effects on family’. The film speaks volumes about the role parents undertake and the very tough decisions faced by parents when it comes to their own careers and families.
The film was funded by the National Film and Video Foundation and was later licensed by the SABC, successes that Teboho is very proud to boast about. It is produced by Teboho Pietersen under his company 1000 Hugs Films and distributed by Hybrid Docs.
The film is Teboho’s directing debut. While the filmmaker is a producer, writer and script editor of fiction and documentary films, this film marked his entry into the landscape of directing. ‘The film is unique from my other work as it is a personal journey film that is about my family and me. It took 4 years to complete’. The film is partly shot in Sweden where Teboho’s grandfather continues to reside.
Boys Don't Cry (Trailer) from Underdog Productions – SA on Vimeo.
Teboho cites his inspiration as a filmmaker to the likes of Rehad Desai, Bridget Pickering, Jihan El-Tahri and many others who have mentored him in his career. He says his work is only possible through the hard work paved by few dedicated South African filmmakers who were not selfish in sharing their knowledge of the craft. Scotttness Smith who is the producer and director of ‘Hear Me Move’ is one such individual who was instrumental on the project as a co-director.
Teboho is also the current co-chair of the Documentary Filmmakers Association, an association that continues to strive to create a thriving culture of documentary appreciation in South Africa.
Tagline: In Post Apartheid South Africa three generations of men affected by apartheid seek closure and healing from a recurring legacy of absenteeism from their fathers.
Event: SABC 2 screening
Date: 21st June 2015 21h00 ‘Father’s Day’.
Detailed Synopsis
Teboho seeks to understand the deep impact of his grandfather’s absence on the family. He finds an article from 1960 detailing his grandfather’s escape from South Africa during the height of apartheid. From the article emerges a man determined to fight to the bitter end for justice and for his people, but his choices meant the neglect of his family. Teboho’s own father became involved in the church and Teboho tells the story of his own longing to know his father. Teboho begins to draw a parallel between his father’s dedications to the church to his grandfather’s dedication to the end of apartheid thus revealing a tragic cycle of absence that continues to plague the family.
‘Deeply personal, revealing story of a legacy of apartheid and its affects on family.’ Nhlanhla Hlongwane – SABC Commissioning Editor
The Film is available to preview on Vimeo
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boys-Dont-Cry-SA-Documentary/159368810816538
Website: http://underdog.co.za/our_work/television.html
Trailer: http://vimeo.com/76503745