S.A short film scores Cannes Nomination

by | Apr 6, 2022 | CSA Celebrates, Culture, Entertainment, The Wire

  • “Best Short Film” at Cannes
  • Rolling Ideas Festival winner
  • Kosice Film Festival finalist
  • Between choice and destiny
  • A pitch for series

Cannes nominated Film, ‘Saloon’, and its cultural impact

Saloon, a 12-minute long South African film received a nomination in the “Best Short Film” Category at this year’s Cannes Short Film Festival. For Durban filmmaker, Dayakar Padayachee, the festival is quite the accolade, as it was created by internationally renowned artists and filmmakers expressly to bring emerging talent to the fore from around the world. It’s also an exciting platform where culture, narrative and vision intersect with a dynamic medium. As short form content continues to dominate entertainment culture, its importance is highlighted by the current generation raised on TIKTOK video and story reels ageing out and transitioning to other content choices with more narrative but not locked down by duration (and excessive bandwidth).

Padayachee’s award winning career in short films.

The 2019 film is already an award winner. It received an award at the Rolling Ideas Festival in Transylvania and was a finalist in the Kosice Film Festival in Slovakia. Padayachee’s deft handling of the short film medium already has a proven track record. In 2014 his six-minute film, Glances, garnered critical praise at the 48-Hour Film Project. In 2017, Padayachee’s film, Shadows, was nominated for “Best Micro Budget Film” at the 12th Annual SA Film and Television Awards. It was also awarded the “Best Original Song from a short film”, at the 7th Annual Durban Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Saloon Short Film Cast
Saloon_Cast

What is Saloon about?

Saloon closely follows a hardened, weathered hitman, “Nkanyamba”, who kills for a corrupt government. Padayachee explains: “It is set in a backdrop of a dystopian future. We find South Africa has become a sort of Wild West. Nkanyamba feels he’s gone numb to killing for reasons he doesn’t understand. We find him at war with himself and his work”. The film is almost prophetic, echoing the sentiments of young Russian soldiers currently fighting in the Ukraine.

Philosophical discourse and inspiration.

Saloon certainly packs a philosophical punch as it examines the illusion of choice versus the intractable path of destiny. “Our roads are mapped and sometimes the hard decision is to choose the story that’s already written”, says Padayachee sagely. Actor Kwenzo Ngcobo as Nkanyamba  delivers a compelling performance, navigating both the murky noir narrative, claustrophobia of character study and the tropes utilized by popular Marvel and DC films. These are in turn the roots of Padayachee’s inspiration. He studied under the acclaimed Durban illustrator, Nanda Sooben, at the Centre for Fine Art. From drawing comic books, to editing and funnelling these dynamics into film making, the swift storytelling, immediacy and singular gravitas in his short films are strikingly evident. Saloon very creatively embodies all these devices.

It’s a pitch for series.

Padayachee views the future with a flexible dexterity. With a hustler’s aplomb, Saloon, was done as a pitch for a series. Given the international recognition particularly the excitement by those who viewed it on the Indie Nation Network media streaming platform, the future is looking optimistic. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s an honour to have such a concept and cultural impact reach the right people,” adds Padayachee.

For South Africa to position itself firmly to the front of a global cultural trend bodes well for our story tellers. Already streaming platforms are investing heavily in Africa and casting far and wide for local directors and scriptwriters to generate projects with a view to stream. The cultural impact will surely make for a compelling future study.

C.S.A.’s monthly cultural portal, The WIRE connects the dots of culture. With concise stories, many with video content, take a premium dive into the world of African entertainment & cultural fluidity. It’s one thing to be hip to what’s happening but it is another to know why.

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