Al Wat Ek Weet Film Opens in Cinemas Nationwide from 30 October

The award-winning Afrikaans feature film Al Wat Ek Weet combining drama with flights of fantasy is heading to cinemas nationwide from 30 October, giving audiences another opportunity to experience a coming-of-age story that celebrates the Cape and its people.

Based on the beloved young adult novel by Marita van der Vyver, the film won the Festival Favourite Award at this year’s kykNET Silwerskermfees, along with awards for Best Sound Design and Best Production Design. The film has also earned international recognition, winning the Award of the Youth Jury at the SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival in Chemnitz, Germany, where it received an Honourable Mention.

A journey from grief to hope

Directed by filmmaking duo Devon Delmar and Jason Jacobs, Al Wat Ek Weet follows 17-year-old Gabriel Lombard, played by Jonan Mouton (Die sentrum, Arendsvlei), whose life is turned upside down when a car accident claims his mother’s life and his father retreats into a clinic. Forced to leave his leafy suburban home near Table Mountain, Gabriel moves in with his aunt Lotta played by Zenobia Kloppers (Fiela se kind, Barakat) and grandmother Lenie played by June van Merch (Barakat, Die Kwiksilwers) in a cramped house in Woodstock.

Determined not to fall apart like his father, Gabriel tries to conceal his grief behind a cool exterior, wild lies and an overactive imagination. His world takes another turn when he meets Sasha played by Antoinette Myburgh (Wyfie, Alpaca) during therapy and falls in love with her. As he gets drawn into his school’s poetry slam to get closer to Sasha, Gabriel finds himself confronting emotions he has tried desperately to avoid.

The cast also Waldemar Schultz (Die Bloedhonde, Die Byl), Elton Landrew (Barakat, Spinners), Jana Cilliers (’n Plekkie in die son, Die Boekklub), Abduragman Adams (Barakat, Indemnity) and Hildegardt Whites (7de Laan, Skemergrond).

Celebrating the Cape and its people

Beyond its moving exploration of grief, family relationships, identity and first love, the film brings a distinctive Cape Town flavour to the screen. Set in Woodstock’s historic Springfield Terrace, the story reflects the everyday lives and personalities of the people who give the area its character.

A particularly interesting element is the presence of the Cape Minstrels, also known as the Kaapse Klopse, with a klopse brass band featuring in Gabriel’s imaginative world. The tradition connects the film’s personal story to a vibrant part of Cape Town’s cultural identity, including the Coloured communities that have helped shape it over generations.

The film also features an original soundtrack by acclaimed South African musician and composer Benjamin Jephta. Inspired by the Cape Minstrels tradition and his own jazz language, the soundtrack adds another dimension to the production’s celebration of local culture.

An accomplished filmmaking duo

Delmar and Jacobs have built an impressive reputation through their distinctive approach to telling South African stories. Their debut feature, Carissa, with Gretchen Ramsden (Arendsvlei, Skemergrond) who also features in Al Wat Ek Weet, screened in the Orizzonti competition at the Venice International Film Festival. There next film, Variasies op ’n Tema (Variations on a Theme), won the prestigious Tiger Award at the Rotterdam International Film Festival earlier this year. The latter was also recently selected as South Africa’s official entry for the 99th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.

Speaking about Al Wat Ek Weet, the directors say Gabriel’s journey from grief to hope was what initially drew them to the story. They describe it as a film about loss and second chances, as well as the people who help us make sense of life when everything falls apart. They hope audiences will recognise something of themselves in the characters and leave the cinema with a renewed sense of hope.

Al Wat Ek Weet: Filmmaking Duo Celebrates the Cape and Its People

Where to watch the film

Produced by Annemarie du Plessis of Meria Productions and distributed locally by Filmfinity, Al Wat Ek Weet opens on 30 October at selected Ster-Kinekor, Nu Metro and independent cinemas.

In Cape Town, screenings will be available at Ster-Kinekor Somerset Mall, Tyger Valley and V&A Waterfront; Nu Metro Canal Walk and Cavendish; and the Labia Cinema.
In Gauteng the film will screen at Ster-Kinekor Brooklyn in Pretoria and Rosebank Nouveau in Johannesburg.
Outside of major cities, Al Wat EK Weet also shows at Garden Route Mall in George, Minimax Cinema in Paarl, Road House at Neelsie in Stellenbosch and Road House at Whale Coast in Hermanus.

WATCH: Al Wat Ek Weet Official Trailer

With its compelling performances, award-winning production and strong sense of place, Al Wat Ek Weet brings a heartfelt local story to the big screen. The film invites audiences to share in Gabriel’s journey towards healing while celebrating the people and culture of the Cape, and see exactly why it was won the kykNET Siwerskermfees Festival Favourite Award..