Blood & Glory
Blood and Glory | |
---|---|
Modder En Bloed | |
Directed by | Sean Else |
Produced by | Dark Matter Studios and Collective Dream Films |
Distributed by | Ster Kinekor |
Release dates |
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Country | South Africa |
Language | English / Afrikaans |
Blood and Glory (Afrikaans: Modder En Bloed) is a feature film that was released to cinema in April 2016 in South Africa. The film, set during the Anglo-Boer War in 1901, is a period drama that follows Willem Morkel, a Boer (Afrikaans farmer) who was captured and sent to a British Prisoner of War camp on St. Helena Island in the Atlantic ocean, where, placed under terrible oppression and hardship lead to an uprising through human spirit and more specifically, the game of rugby.
Blood and Glory is a fictional account, using the backdrop of Anglo-Boer War with some of the places in the plot resembling historical locations from the war. The film's protagonist, Willem Morkel, is loosely based on Douglas "Sommie" Morkel, who went on to captain the first Springbok rugby side in 1906 against the British & Irish Lions, and they remained undefeated for over 60 years.
The historical authenticity of backdrop events, conditions and attitudes in the plot of the film can be debated, as its depiction of the Boers and the British rely heavily on glorification of the former and vilification of the latter. As the film is primarily marketed at an Afrikaner audience within South Africa, many of whom identify themselves as descendants of the Boers, this historical interpretation of the war will not find fault with most of its viewers who still harbour bitter beliefs about the Anglo-Boer War.
Blood and Glory is a co-production by Dark Matter Studios and Collective Dream Films. The film is written and directed by Sean Else (Spud 2, Platteland, ‘n Man Soos My Pa), and produced by Llewelynn Greeff (Leading Lady) and Henk Pretorius (Leading Lady, Fanie Fourie's Lobola, Wolwedans in die Skemer, Hoofmeisie and the Bakgat Trilogy)
Cast
Blood and Glory includes a strong South African male cast, and includes 5 international actors – a first for a South African film:
- Stian Bam
- Charlotte Salt
- Grant Swanby
- Patrick Connolly
- Albert Maritz
- Michael Richard
- Bok van Blerk
- Altus Theart
- Jacques Bessenger
- Edwin van der Walt
- Gustav Gerdener
- Rudy Halgryn
- Albert Pretorius
- Jaco Muller
- David Louw
- Nick Cornwall
- Marno van der Merwe
- Josh Myers
- Deon Lotz
- De Klerk Oelofse
- Francios Coertze
- Benedikt Sebastian
- Jonathan Holby
- Jandre le Roux
The film also features appearances from well-known South African Actors like: Greg Kriek, Clyde Berning, Paul Snodgrass, Carla Else and Andrew Lopescher.
Production
Filming took place during winter in the Western Cape, South Africa in 2015, specifically within the Worcester area and parts of Cape Town.
Distribution
The film was released on 1 April 2016 in South Africa via distribution partners of the film Ster Kinekor to 51 cinemas nationwide in South Africa. The film stayed in cinema for a total of 8 weeks, leaving all sites on the 19 May 2016 in South Africa.
The producers of the film are currently in talks with the following territories for international distribution of Blood & Glory:
- UK and Ireland
- USA & Canada
- Europe
- Asia
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Latin America
References
External links
- Official website
- kykNET
- Blood & Glory at the Internet Movie Database
- Huisgenoot
- Screen Africa
- Artlink
- GetIt Online - Durban
- Blik
- Media Update
- Pressreader.com
- Rekord East
- Netwerk24
- Pieter Cloete
- Lowvelder
- Weekend Argus
- Rekord Centurion