Press Release: Maynard Kraak’s latest film, The Last Victims, to open RapidLion 2019

RapidLion – The South African International Film Festival (running from 1 to 10 March) at The Market Theatre has unveiled The Last Victims, a film by prolific South African film Director/Producer, Maynard Kraak, as the opening film for this year’s edition.

The Last Victims chronicles an unlikely bond between Dawid, a former member of apartheid South Africa’s infamous death squad, and Pravesh, who survived this squad, as Dawid tries to atone for his past by helping Pravesh search for the bodies of a missing anti-apartheid cell.

“Notwithstanding that this film is based on real events, it is definitely a uniquely South African story because it’s about a fractured search for reconciliation in the face of a harrowing past that refuses to die out”, says festival director, Eric Miyeni,”It is a great metaphor for today’s South Africa”.

The Last Victims producer, Rajiv Terwadkar, added his voice, saying,”It is only apt that, after its Los Angeles premiere at The Pan African Film Festival, the film should have its African premiere at RapidLion, in South Africa where it was birthed.”

RapidLion 2019, the fourth installment of The South African film festival will also include some outstanding films from the BRICS region. Silent winter is a stunning feature from China that chronicles Meiling’s life as she gains her freedom from a forced marriage, only to find her heart still chained to her brother-in-law who is nowhere to be found.

From Brazil, the festival offers up Before I forget, a comedy drama that follows the life of Polidoro, a judge whose daughter wants to put in care suspecting that he is going sinile because of his investment in a strip club. Also from Brazil is Life is a Bitch, a highly entertaining film that follows a band of loud-mouths as they plan a kidnapping only to have death interrupt the process.

Other exciting screening at the festival include Women’s Day at RapidLion 2019, which will see a series of made-by-women films, including shorts, documentaries and feature films, screening throughout the day intermingled with workshops and panel discussions dealing with women’s issues in the film business.

Jahmil X.T. Qubeka’s Sew the winter to my skin, will anchor BRICS Day at RapidLion 2019 on the 6th of March when the festival will be showcasing film works from BRICS countries. The film chronicles the last day of John Kepe, the self-proclaimed “Samson of the Boschberg”, a real life Robin Hood figure who was, in reality, a stock thief who got caught only to be sentenced to death for murder in 1952. Die Seemeeu, a film adaptation of Anton Chekov’s play, The Seagull, by  director Christiaan Olwagen, will see audiences watch one of the most stunning performances of any 2018/19 South African film by actress Cintaine Schutte who portrays Masha in the film.

Tickets for the festival  are available at www.webtickets.co.za

About RapidLion- The South African International Film Festival

RapidLion recognises the achievements and excellence of filmmakers who are born in Africa, are members of the African diaspora and are citizens of BRICS countries. The 2019 festival will take place from the 1st to the 10th of March at the Market Theatre, in Johannesburg.

The official partners for RapidLion 2019 are The Department of Arts & Culture, Brand SA, The National Film & Video Foundation, Gauteng Film Commission, Outie Bakery filmmaker.com, Callsheet, Trace Urban, Creative Feel, The Ngakane Family and The Market Theatre Foundation.