Cape Town, Wednesday 31 August 2022 – After a successful festival run across the USA, South Africa, Germany, and Australia, the award-winning short film #WeAreDyingHere screened on Monday, 29 August, at The Labia Theatre in the Cape Town. The screening kicked-off the week before the much-anticipated lead up to the SAFTAs*, wherein the film has a Best Short Film nomination.
The cast attended and hosted a Q&A session after the screening. The night was concluded with a special announcement that #WeAreDyingHere will be released and available for streaming on Showmax from Monday, 5 September 2022.*
Producer, Siphokazi Jonas stated, “We have witnessed the incredible power and impact of this film on audiences around the world, and we are excited for a wider South African audience to see it on Showmax, and for these necessary dialogues to continue in our audience’s homes.”
#WeAreDyingHere is an intimate reflection on the impact of violence, harassment, abuse, rape and femicide on everyday life. It chronicles the journey of three soldiers forced to survive a war they did not choose. In a war against women’s bodies, they attempt to find solace by telling their stories under the constant watch of a relentless enemy.
While the film never depicts violence, these soldiers’ psychological and emotional trauma is evident, even as they fight to make themselves heard. It is a necessary poetic insight into the experience of living in South Africa, where names of missing or murdered women frequently trend.
Director, Shane Vermooten reflected “History is being made in this collaboration between poetry, stage, and film, and the SAFTA-nomination is a sign that the world is ready for a film of this nature.”
#WeAreDyingHere is produced by Bianca Vermooten and Shane Vermooten from Optical Films, Siphokazi Jonas from Wrestling Dawn Arts, and Executive Producers Siya Kolisi, Rachel Kolisi, and the Kolisi Foundation.
For more information, contact: martmyers@gmail.com
* The SAFTA 2022 awards show is scheduled for 2 September as a simulcast on Mzansi Magic and SABC 3.
*Trailer:
Siphokazi Jonas 