Cape Town - A short film that tells the story of two brothers trying to survive life on the streets of Cape Town, has been selected for the Amsterdam Lift-Off Film Festival taking place virtually over the course of this month.
Boeta is a nine-minute-long film that follows Boeta and his younger brother as they go about their daily street-life escapades trying to make enough money to get through the day.
Boeta’s younger brother dreams of a lush life and one day being a CEO. He also holds a deep secret, which he hopes Boeta will soon discover but for Boeta the truth is too hard to bear.
Filmmaker Gasan Sallies spoke to Weekend Argus about the making of what he said was a “guerilla-style film”. Boeta was a passion project made with a very small cast and crew of friends and family.
“I just love telling stories and I always find that I have an attraction to telling stories of underdogs and people that do not have much, and about the love of friendship and family,” said Sallies.
Sallies explained that the short film was self-funded “on a budget of zero rand”. He made use of filming equipment he had on hand and gathered a few friends and family members to assist him. Boeta was shot in and around his neighbourhood.
“Fortunately I had equipment. It really is about using the resources you have.”
Sallies, 31, made his very first film at the age of 19. He currently works in the advertising industry with a background in animation and special effects. These skills have come in very handy when producing his films, so he functions as a scriptwriter, director, editor, and producer.
“I was raised in a filmmaking family. My mom was a filmmaker and a writer so I always had the desire to make films.”
Sallies is the son of the late Zulfah Otto-Sallies, one of Cape Town’s most reknowned filmmakers, who was also a poet and author, best known for her heartrending short story, ’n Beter lewe vir Mams.
His mother’s celebrated works and her dedication to helping new actors tell stories of less-privileged communities through film and theatre, strongly influenced Sallies in his own filmmaking career.
Real-life brothers, Anwar Vlotman, 19, and Ateeq Vlotman, 14, make up the two-man cast of Boeta, in which they play brothers.
“Working with my brother made everything easier because there was already chemistry between us which made the acting feel natural,” Anwar said.
“The script was just a massive bonus because it complimented our daily characters and how we interacted with each other.”
Anwar said that he was honoured to have just been considered to be part of a short film, but to have the film selected for a festival really shocked him.
“We did it merely for the love of acting. I truly did not expect it to blow up.”
He did, however, recognise the emotive themes of the story.
“When [Sallies] sent the script I knew that this story he was telling would touch the hearts of many. It gives a perspective on how differently everyone deals with trauma,” Anwar added.
This was the brothers’ first time acting and they are very keen to do it again.
“I have always wanted to be part of a movie or short film so when I heard of the opportunity I took it,” said Ateeq.
“Honestly I enjoyed acting and wouldn't mind doing it again. I would like to be in comedies and maybe even an action film because the stunts that they do look (like) fun.”
Anwar hopes that filmmakers who liked his acting in Boeta would consider him for their future projects as acting has always been his passion.
“I would love to do any type of story that has a deeper meaning and that makes people ponder about what was going through each character's head,” Anwar said.
Sallies would like to create further opportunities for youth in communities that have not traditionally been exposed to filmmaking so that they may own the stories told about them. He encouraged youmg people to follow their passion, and make the most of what they had.
He recently worked with a big TV network to produce a film. While he couldn’t say more about it yet, he did say that there would be a lot more to come from him, through his own filmmaking company, Kanala Productions, in collaboration with local TV networks.
Boeta can be streamed online together with other ‘Judges’ Select Shorts’ until November 7. Tickets are available for $12 via the festival’s website.