| Film
Screen adaptations
in contemporary South Africa Since the beginning of cinema, producers, writers and directors have turned to novels for source material. A vast number of international films – Hollywood included – are taken from the written word. Yet South African filmmakers have been slow to exploit our own literary heritage, despite the fact that it is a very rich one – covering English, Afrikaans and indigenous languages.
It is ironic that Hollywood and European filmmakers have made more films based on South African books than we have locally. That aside, in recent years, more and more literary film adaptations are coming out of South Africa, and with great success. Locally, in just the past year, Sara Blecher’s screen adaptation of Anchien Troskie’s (writing under the pseudonym Elbie Lotter) disturbing semi-autobiographical novel Dis Ek, Anna and its sequel Die Staat Teen Anna Bruwer, has been winning critical acclaim on the festival circuit. The screen adaptation of Cynthia Jele’s feel good romance novel Happiness is a Four Letter Word is currently in post-production set to premiere early in 2016; and Charlie Human’s critically acclaimed sci-fi/fantasy novel Apocalypse Now Now is to be adapted for the big screen as a CanadianSouth African co-production in 2016. There are always mixed expectations regarding film adaptations; die-hard fans of a particular book are anxious that the screen adaptation won’t match what they have conjured up in their imagination, and then there’s the on-going debate about which is better – the book or the movie… It is extremely difficult to take a story from a literary medium and successfully turn it into a visual one. When it works, it often transcends the original source material. When it doesn’t, it either fails miserably or is considered mediocre by fans of the literary source.
South African popular literature Original screenplays have become more of a gamble for producers, who attribute the growing trend mainly to the recent ‘boom’ in quality South African popular literature, dealing with ‘immediate local
social issues’, that resonate with today’s cinema-going audience. Bongiwe Selane, along with Helena Spring and Junaid Ahmed, is part of the producing team for the screen adaptation of Cynthia Jele’s 2010 novel Happiness is a Four Letter Word and comments: “The book felt new in a sense that nothing like that had ever been done in a South African context… Its greatest appeal was how different it was in the context of South African literature that would usually deal with the socio-political occupation of a new country, but focused on a more social aspect of what is currently occupying and happening in a new modern South Africa.” Niel van Deventer, producer of the 2015 Afrikaans film Dis Ek, Anna, agrees that the growth in outstanding relatable narratives has been a major draw card for South African producers turning to books for film concepts, but adds that financial risk is also a contributing factor. “I think that a lot of brilliant, relatable stories already exist in books and that it is sometimes easier to turn a novel into a screenplay, but it might also be that books already have a following, which makes the movie not quite the financial risk to make and try and sell… Unfortunately in South Africa we will almost always have to look at the affordability of turning any story into something for screen.”
Visuals and resonance Selane and van Deventer say that the most important aspects to consider when attempting to successfully adapt a literary medium for the big screen, is how the writing translates visually, and its relevance in a contemporary society. Selane comments: “After reading it (Happiness is a Four Letter Word), I thought it read very ‘visual’ and would
translate well into a chick-flick much in the same vein as Sex and the City and Waiting to Exhale… I was attracted by the world of the story, its relevance in a transitional democracy and its portrayal of a South Africa in the present rather than the past.” Van Deventer further explains that relevance in society is a key factor when looking to adapt a novel for the big screen. The relevance of the issue of child abuse, which is addressed in Dis Ek, Anna, was a selling point for the producers when reading the book. “The books (Dis Ek, Anna and Die Staat Teen Anna Bruwer) read very visual and I could see them being made into a film from the first time I read them. It also addresses child abuse and after some research we came to the realisation of how important but unaddressed it is.”
Screenwriting Given that a book is a lengthy written medium it is often a difficult process when deciding which situations, characters and conflicts to condense into a 120-minute film. In some cases, such as with the screen adaptation of Happiness is a Four Letter Word, the author of the novel lends a hand on a consultancy basis to assist with the screenwriting process, and to authenticate story beats and characters. “Cynthia Jele stayed on board on a consultancy basis… and was involved in every story change or alteration we made. We worked amazingly well together to keep the main themes and plot-lines intact. She however didn’t write the screenplay, Busisiwe Ntintili was the screenwriter for Happiness,” says Selane. Alternatively – as with the adaptation of Dis Ek, Anna – the author chose not to be involved at all, leaving the entire screenwriting process in the capable
hands of screenwriter Tertius Kapp.
Escapism and audience expectations Selane says that it is always difficult to stay 100% true to the novel and producers have to take creative liberties when deciding what needs to be included or excluded to make the book filmic. She explains: “For instance – the novel involves a multi-plot story of four friends, but in the film, we decided to combine two characters into one so that we have three leads instead of four. This was a deliberate decision to allow enough screen time for each character and their partners so that the story is fleshed out more. It’s really a matter of deciding what translates to the screen and what is it that would make audiences go see the film, even those who didn’t read the book.” Selane adds that the most important thing to understand is that, at the end of the day, a film is about escapism. “We do our best to capture the world, the theme and the characters in the novel, but a film is ultimately about entertainment, about escapism and these are some of the things we have to grapple with when deciding what will work and what won’t. Film is also about casting – making sure that a particular actor will capture the character truly – and someone who’d read the book will have a very different idea of who would play which character. So there really isn’t an exact science, but just trusting that the cast will resonate with the characters in the book.” Van Deventer adds that while it is crucial to do what is best for the film, it is advised not to place too much emphasis on the audience’s initial reactions, adding that: “if the film is well made, they will see it, appreciate it and love it.” – Chanelle Ellaya November – December 2015 | SCREENAFRICA | 19