Shepherds And Butchers Is Set To Have Its South African Premiere At This Year’s Silverskerm Festival

 

SilverskermFees2016

Earlier this year, veteran director Oliver Schmitz’s Shepherds and Butchers bowled audiences over at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it received the prestigious Panorama Audience Award.  Audiences will now get the chance to see the film at the kykNET Silverskerm festival in Cape Town, which commences on the 24th of August 2016.  The legendary local filmmaker, Anant Singh, one of Shepherds and Butchers’ producers will also be attending this year’s festival for the first time and will be present at the screening of the film on Friday the 26th of August 2016.

Shepherds and Butchers is part of a new selection of feature films “that has seen the light” due to creative and financial support from M-Net. “We are proud of every single one of these films, which represents a bigger variety of genres. The films have suspenseful storylines and the production value is of the highest quality,” Jan du Plessis, Director: M-Net channels commented. “It is wonderful news that Shepherds and Butchers with its outstanding cast, including the brilliant Steve Coogan and an experienced production crew can screen at the festival with other up and coming new local filmmakers.”

Shepherds and Butchers is inspired by true events and is set against the background of the politically unsettled South-Africa of 1987. When Leon Labuschangne (Garion Dowds), a 19-year-old prison warden, commits a cold blooded crime by shooting seven black men at point blank range, the outcome of the lingering court case is obvious for most – that he will get the death penalty.

The human rights activist, John Weber (played by the renowned Steve Coogan from Philomena fame), who stands against the death penalty, is the only defence attorney that is willing to take Labuschagne’s case.  He discovers that this young man worked on the gallows where 164 executions took place in one year.

During the court case Weber reveals the traumatic working conditions Labuschagne was exposed to which ultimately lead to his break down.

Andrea Riseborough (the Oscar® winning Birdman), Deon Lotz, (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) Marcel van Heerden, Eduan van Jaarsveldt and Nicola Hanekom also form part of the star studded cast.

Shepherds and Butchers screens on Friday the 26th of August at 16:30 in the Rotunda at the kykNET Silwerskerm Festival.

 

Website: www.kyknet.tv
Facebook: www.facebook.com/silwerskermfees
Twitter: @silwerskermfees #silwerskermfees2016
Instagram: @silwerskermfees2016

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb