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Afrikaans/Indian love story set to hit local cinemas and abroad

Johannesburg - Bosbok Ses Films and Utkarsh Entertainment in association with Indian production company, Parnam Entertainment have produced one of the most anticipated South African films to be released in 2016, Free State.  

The film is set in 1979 and tells the story of a forbidden love affair between Jeanette (Nicole Breytenbach) - a white Afrikaans girl - and Ravi (Andrew Govender) - an Indian man.  

The film is written and directed by multi-award winning filmmaker, Sallas de Jager and stars a cast of award-winning actors including Leleti Khumalo (Sarafina, Yesterday), Deon Lotz (Roepman, Skoonheid) and Rolanda Marais (Wolwedans in die Skemer, Ballade vir ’n Enkeling).  

It is also the first international appearance for Marathi and Bollywood star, Mangesh Desai.  

This film is also historic in the sense that it will be released in India through the involvement of production company Utkarsh Entertainment and producer Rajiv Terwadkar.

According to director, Sallas de Jager, it was a challenging story to tell and he is extremely proud of the team of actors and technicians responsible for blowing life into the script.  

“The film explores the predicament of a parent and child relationship within three families when they are confronted by the ripple effect of the forbidden love affair between Ravi and Jeanette.  The parents are confronted by the need of a parent for your child to find true happiness versus the need for your child to uphold the way of life taught to him/her from childhood in order to fit into a community as an adult.  The ruthless punishment for breaking society’s rules is something that every parent wants to protect his/her child against.”  

“The possibility of true happiness of which love is the foundation, will always outweigh the sanctions of society, governments and religion - therefore making one person’s love towards another the most powerful human experience.  Not even the tragic nature of forbidden love is enough to stop good people from risking everything just for a taste of something that is bigger than them.” de Jager said.

The film has already made waves at International Film Markets and has been selected to screen at the 13th Chennai international Film Festival in India, in December 2015.

Free State was also picked up by the San Francisco-based international Sales Agent Wonderphil Entertainment (www.wonderphil.biz) and was included in their line-up of films for the American Film Market (AFM) in November 2015.  

It will also be presented to international buyers during the Berlin and Cannes Festivals in 2016.  

(Photos supplied)

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