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

After earning acclaim for the deeply personal stories of Carissa and Variations on a Theme, award-winning filmmakers Devon Delmar and Jason Jacobs take a different creative path with Al Wat Ek Weet, their first adaptation of an existing novel. The feature film, based on Marita van der Vyver’s acclaimed young adult book, will make its debut at the 2026 Silwerskerm Film Festival.

Set in Woodstock’s historic Springfield Terrace, Al Wat Ek Weet follows teenager Gabriel, played by Jonan Mouton, as he struggles to come to terms with the death of his mother while living with his aunt Lotta, portrayed by Zenobia Kloppers, and grandmother Lenie, played by June van Merch. His emotional walls begin to crumble after meeting Sasha, portrayed by Antoinette Myburgh, inspiring him to enter a national poetry competition that could help him find his voice.

From rural stories to Cape Town

While the duo’s previous films were rooted in the rural communities of Wupperthal and Kharkams, moving the story to Cape Town felt like a natural progression. Although adapting Marita van der Vyver’s novel marked a departure from telling their own original stories, they say the project still remained firmly grounded in community.

“Our previous films have been original stories inspired by the communities of Wupperthal and Kharkams and their personal and everyday lives,” the filmmakers explain. “The move to existing fiction was natural, but also carries a big community element where we worked intimately with the Springfield Terrace community in Woodstock.”

For Delmar and Jacobs, Gabriel’s emotional journey became the heart of the story. They were particularly drawn to his struggle with grief, recognising something of themselves in the character.

“We also see a lot of ourselves in him, especially because we were also so stubborn as teenagers who struggled to talk about our feelings. We hope younger men will resonate with this. We still live in a time where we don’t create enough safe spaces for teenagers to be honest about what’s really going on in their hearts.”

A story beyond teenagers

Although Al Wat Ek Weet is based on a novel written for high school readers, the filmmakers believe its themes reach far beyond a younger audience.

The film explores identity, grief, broken families, mental health, masculinity, race, class and sexuality, while offering a hopeful message about healing and reconciliation. At its core, they describe it as “a family drama – told with fine sensitivity, warm humour and magical elements – about people we all know and love.”

The directors also see the film as a celebration of South Africa itself.

“It is also a celebration of our colourful nation, and we hope the film will encourage us to stand together and make us realise that we are not so different from each other.”

WATCH Al Wat Ek Weet – Official Silwerskermfees 2026 Trailer

Built on collaboration

Delmar and Jacobs continue to share both writing and directing duties, a partnership they have developed over nearly a decade. Rather than following a rigid formula, they say every project requires them to learn the craft all over again.

“We’re still learning how to collaborate, and that’s why it’s important to keep going,” they say. “Each process is unique, although there are similar elements that we apply when either writing or directing.”

That collaborative spirit extends to their work with actors, whom they describe as the driving force behind bringing each character’s emotional truth to the screen.

A love letter to the Cape

The filmmakers hope audiences leave with more than simply an appreciation for Gabriel’s story. They also want viewers to experience a celebration of Cape Town, its people and its culture.

It will be interesting for us to see how the Cape Minstrels aka Kaapse Klopse which is synonymous with Cape Town Coloured communities ties into Gabriel’s life in Al Wat Ek Weet.
We also look forward to seeing how true the filmmakers claim is when they say “Benjamin Jephta’s original soundtrack, inspired by the Cape Minstrels and his own jazz language, will stay with audiences for a long time”.

“Al Wat Ek Weet is a feature film that celebrates the colourful personalities of us as people,” they say. “The film deals with serious themes with sensitivity, but it is also full of fun and humour and is our love letter to Huri ǂOaxa (Table Mountain) and the people she protects.”

Al Wat Ek Weet premieres at the 2026 kykNET Silwerskermfees, taking place in Camps Bay from 19 to 22 August, where it joins Variations on a Theme as part of Devon Delmar and Jason Jacobs’ impressive festival line-up.