Love ya
a film about South African artists two decades after the end of apartheid
AUT/South Africa 2012, 52 min
The treatment
This is a filmic documentation about dedicated young artists who on the one hand come from the so called townships, the ghettos of Cape Town, and on the other hand stem from well-off families. What is the situation like in South Africa today, almost twenty years after the end of apartheid? What are the opportunities for the next generation? And what kind of life models have developed young artists in the “new South Africa” ever since? What is essential to musicians and actors? Which exactly is their motivation? How can they arrange life and art?
What is the meaning of love, art, success, music, theatre, humanity, equality, tolerance and human rights to them? How hard is “show-biz” in South Africa? What is required of you? What in their opinion has religion got to do with music? Is art as a universal language able to create more consciousness for tolerance between the nations?
This is the point where Love Ya comes in and differs from other documentary films about South African artists. The film is neither showcased nor embellished but documents in an authentic way the difficulties and eschewals artists have to face nowadays. Artists like Teba Shumba, Levi Alexander or Kyla Davis are just like anyone else. They laugh, cry, have got money troubles and other problems. They have families, friends and are not spared by misfortunes. But they commit themselves.And they have got art. And a target. Which gives them a strong will. And a great deal of motivation.
The point of view is clearly defined: a change of perspective by means of the next generation in South Africa in order to exceed visible as well as invisible borders.
The statement
Following long researches for the planned film project Love Ya (working title) there is at last a filming concept about a portrait of young and dedicated artists in South Africa. What happened so far:
Having done some investigation work for several weeks in Cape Town, South Africa, at the beginning of 2012, I met musicians from the townships in Cape Town. Especially exciting, inspiring and disturbing at the same time is the “origin social worker” Teba Shumba. The black Reggae musician has never attended school, as he says. Due to his early talents as an actor and a singer he was promoted in the Township Community Theatre.
Teba Shumba has succeeded in escaping from the townships. Today, he lives in Seapoint, a wealthy area in the centre of Cape Town, and can make a living with his music and his art work.
Another protagonist in the film is the only 20 years old Levi Alexander, having a totally different lifestyle than Teba Shumba. The young music student at the Settlers High School Belville is said to be central figure of the Cape Town Brass Ensemble since 2009. He is studying the saxophone at the Hugo Lambrecht Music Centre as well as at the South African College of Cape Town B-Music Performance
The young and dedicated artist Kyla Davis lives in Johannesburg. She has graduated at the Art High School, performs and directs at the Well Worn Theatre in Johannesburg. A multitasking personality who will not give up hope for a better South Africa
.
Love Ya deals with topics like yearning, aims, misfortunes, limits, faith, points of view, passion, endurance, visions. It is all about feelings, pains, alienation, setbacks and fears. It is about changes of perspective, hope, power and ways.
But most of all, it is an authentic and esthetic depiction of the motives listed above
.
The motivation
The film Love Ya is an expressive portrait about young artists full of joie de vivre who wish for more tolerance, human rights, humanity and art engaging themselves for awareness training with the help of art, music and theatre in the sense of a better cooperation on national and international Levels.
In its own kind, Love Ya also broaches the issue of psychological problems but at the same time one feels the humor and a new openness in handling emotions. Topics like discrimination, racism, intolerance are discussed, about what is essential to young people twenty years after the apartheid. Unuttered things have their taboos removed .
At the same time, Love Ya allows to gain insight into the everyday life of artists in their hometowns Cape Town and Johannesburg. During a tour throughout Europe, the spectator shall become conscious of what is possible despite depression, racism, poverty, aids, globalization, discrimination and ignorance – if there exist passion, visions and open perspectives. And shows what may happen if we exceed the visible and invisible limits that obstruct our view.
Credits: Screenplay, Director: Carola Mair
Camera: Erika Michalke
Editing: Sophie Huber/ Markus Kaiser-Mühlecker
Sound: Markus Kaiser-Mühlecker
Music: Teba Shumba, EATO, Miagi
