Vibrant 50’s Afrikaans Musical Film Hits Local Cinema Screens 23 Nov

‘Pretville’, the brand new Afrikaans musical film from Hartiwood Films, opens in cinemas nationwide on 23 November 2012. The film is a rollicking romantic musical comedy set in the 50s, in a vibrant and colourful town where anything can happen and fun is the order of the day.

This is the second musical from the talented filmmaking team behind the 2010 blockbuster ‘Liefling, Die Movie’, the best-performing Afrikaans feature film of all time, and brings together once more the vision and skills of producers Paul Kruger and Emma Kruger, and co-producer and director Linda Korsten.

Also on board is the internationally acclaimed composer and songwriter Machiel Roets who has composed more than 30 brand new Afrikaans songs for the film. Roets has worked as musical director on pantomimes and musicals in London for more than 12 years.

“‘Pretville’ captures the spirit of the 50s through music, dance and colour,” says director Linda Korsten. “It’s a feel-good movie filled with recognisable characters and wacky personalities.”

Featuring 50s music from rock ‘n roll to doo-wop, the film pays homage to an era characterised by charm and romance. “In the tradition of ‘Grease’ and ‘Hairspray’, it’s madly colourful and stylish,” says Korsten. It features sumptuous costumes, with a wardrobe never before seen in a local movie. Because it’s set in the 50s, audiences will also be able to feast their eyes on a gorgeous collection of classic vintage cars too.”

The extravagant set was built from scratch at Hartbeespoort and encompasses a town hall, diner, hair salon, garage, funeral parlour and other distinctive small town features. Producer Paul Kruger scouted everywhere for a suitable location which still had lots of buildings from the 50s, but could not find anything that worked. “I chatted to my sister, who is an architect, and she suggested we just build the town ourselves,” he says. “She showed me the plans an d we went ahead. We began the project in April 2011, and it took me, seven builders and five assistants about a year to construct it.

In the lead are Marlee van der Merwe (Liefling, Die Movie), newcomer Eugene Jensen and Marno van der Merwe (Longshot). Also starring in the film is Terence Bridgett as the flamboyant hairdresser and mayor of ‘‘Pretville’’. Other well known stars appearing in the film include Annette Engelbrecht, Lizz Meiring, Steve Hofmeyr, Rina Nienaber, Emo Adams, Margit Meyer-Rodenbeck, Willem Botha, Sanet Ackerman, Kevin Leo and Jakkie Louw, as well as a line-up of fresh, young talent.

“Machiel, Linda and I all had a few people in mind for the cast, but the process was very organic,” says Kruger. “As the story developed, so we thought of people who could play the part for example, Emo Adams and Margit Meyer-Rodenbeck as the ‘Pretville’ police officers and Kevin Leo and Jakkie Louw as the jail wardens. And who better to play the prisoners that Kobus Wiese and Jimmy Abbott? Terence Bridgett as the hairdresser and mayor was also a shoe-in. The casting was spot on.”

‘Pretville’ will be distributed by Indigenous Film Distribution. “The attendance figures show that South African audiences are loving the top quality Afrikaans films that have been produced in the last two years,” says Helen Kuun, CEO of Indigenous Film Distribution. “It’s exciting to see the progress being made in driving quality and excellent production values while also creating great South African entertainment.”

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Pretville in cinema 23 November

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

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