Film news: Reflections in a broken mirror has world premiere at 25th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, 2023

Reflections in a broken mirror is a riveting 80 minute documentary, archiving and engaging with “Afrikaans theatre’s ability to reflect the zeitgeist of the post-Apartheid Afrikaner and its struggle to survive in the new South Africa”. The film is co-directed by Amber Fox-Martin and Philip Theron and is being presented in association with Stellenbosch University History Department as part of Fox-Martin’s Master’s research. The world premiere of the film is at the 2023 edition of Encounters South African International Documentary Festival. There will be two screenings of Reflections in a broken mirror, at Encounters. Read on for details. Info as supplied.

Insightful documentary Reflections in a broken mirror has world premiere at 25^th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival, 2023

An insightful new documentary about the Afrikaans theatre industry has its world premiere at the 25^th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival.

Reflections in a broken mirror follows up on the well-received A Feast in Time of Plague which ran at Encounters in 2020.  This new film explores Afrikaans theatre’s ability to reflect the zeitgeist of the post-Apartheid Afrikaner and its struggle to survive in the new South Africa.

The Encounters South African International Documentary Festival runs from June 22 until July 2 2023. 

Created by the same team of writer, producer and director Amber Fox-Martin and co-director Philip Theron, Reflections in a broken mirror tells the story of plays that were innovative, cathartic and existential in the new South Africa. It follows two generations of theatre makers, and their productions that reflect on themes of identity, language and the legacy of apartheid.

The 80-minute film charts an historical journey using fascinating archive material and interviews with luminaries from the theatre sector, discussing landmark productions such as Boklied, Ek, Anna van Wyk,  and Balbesit among numerous others.

The stellar list of interviewees for the film include: Alexa Strachan, Antoinette Kellerman, Braam du Toit, Diane de Beer, Hugo Theart, Jaco Bouwer, Karen Meiring, Marthinus Basson, Martie Meiring, Pieter Fourie, Saartjie Botha, Temple Hauptfleisch and Wessel Pretorius.

Original music composition for the film was designed by Jannous Aukema, and features live recordings by musicians Babette Viljoen, Babette Le Roux and Petrus Coetzee. Reflections in a broken mirror is presented in association with Stellenbosch University History Department as part of Amber Fox-Martin’s Master’s research.

“Our previous film, A Feast in Time of Plague, was inspired by the stories of Marthinus Basson during my time as a student at Stellenbosch University,” says Fox-Martin. “The film investigated a genre of work that challenged theatre-making norms, and pushed boundaries in the apartheid system.”

“This film completes the narrative from A Feast in Time of Plague, reflecting on the journey of these Afrikaans theatre makers in the new South Africa. I felt it would be interesting to engage with the next chapter of history, bringing it up to the present day, with a sense of looking to the future.  Reflections in a broken mirror is our ode to the giant talents of South African theatre, while hoping to document a part of our history.”

Reflections in a broken mirror will be screened at the 25^th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival which runs from June 22 until July 2 2023. 

“Encounters is delighted that Reflections in a broken mirror joins our stellar selection of documentaries from South Africa and around the world, in celebration of the Festival’s 25th edition. The film delicately frames the conditions created through South Africa’s apartheid-era cultural policies; in the process revealing untold stories and documentary’s power to interest and educate us. We congratulate the filmmakers on their world premiere at Encounters South African International Documentary Festival.” – Mandisa Zitha, Encounters Festival Director

View the trailer for Reflections in a Broken Mirror: https://youtu.be/La-N8m_D1u8

Screening dates and times / Tickets cost R80 /Book at https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/Performance.aspx?itemid=1529700211.

Cape Town: Labia Theatre Cinema 1 Friday June 23  at 6.30pm W/P + Q&A (tickets – R80/screening)

Johannesburg: The Zone @Rosebank 3 Thursday June 29 at 7.30pm (tickets- R80/screening)

Also visit: https://amberfoxmartin.com/portfolio/reflections-in-a-broken-mirror/

For more information, visit:

Website:  www.encounters.co.za

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/EncountersDocFest/

Twitter handle:  @EncountersDoc

Instagram handle:  @encountersdoc  

#EncountersDocFest

The producers of Reflections in a Broken Mirror extend special thanks to (in alphabetical order):

Alet Pretorius, Braam du Toit, Hans van der Veen, Hugo Theart, Marthinus Basson, Nardus Engelbrecht, Peter Morey, Pieter Fourie, and Prof. Vivian Bickford-Smith.

Reflections in a Broken Mirror was made in association with the Stellenbosch University History Department and is presented in as part of Amber Fox-Martin’s Master of Arts degree in the History Faculty.

Director Biography – Amber Fox-Martin

Amber Fox-Martin is a historian, documentary filmmaker, production and stage manager. Amber studied at Stellenbosch University, where she graduated cum laude in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in drama. She majored in stage management and theatre studies, as well as history, which she studied with intention of developing research in the field. She furthered her studies the following year by completing her honours in history in 2019. Under the mentorship of Professor Vivian Bickford-Smith, Amber created her thesis documentary film, A Feast in Time of Plague, which earned a cum laude grading. It premiered at the 22nd Encounters South African International Documentary Film Festival in August 2020. Amber was awarded her Master of Arts in History in 2023, creating a sequel documentary-thesis, Reflections in a broken mirror.  

Since 2016, she has worked as a freelancer in the entertainment industry in the capacity of venue technician, sound operator, venue manager, production manager, assistant stage manager and stage manager for various productions. By 2019, she was employed by the Adam Small Theatre Complex as a stage manager and administrative assistant. Amber has worked as an ad-hoc lecturer at the Stellenbosch University Drama Department teaching sound and stage management in 2020 and 2021. Throughout 2020, Amber also worked as an intern for South African History Online, co-ordinating one of their main projects and fundraising efforts. In 2022, Amber became a director of Attakwa Productions (Pty) Ltd., a female-run production company that focuses on nurturing indigenous narratives and storytelling techniques. The theatre production, and subsequent documentary short, Bientang: bloedspoor/!nau was developed by the company.

Director Biography – Philip Theron

Philip Theron is a freelance writer, director and film editor. In 2013, he received a higher certificate in music at Stellenbosch University with classical guitar as his main instrument. Philip graduated cum laude in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in motion picture studies at AFDA, where he majored in writing and directing, and appeared on the Dean’s List. After graduating, he worked as a production assistant and production co-ordinator on international commercials, music videos and local film sets, including the film, 8: A South African Horror Story that is currently being distributed on Netflix.

In addition to this, Philip has worked as an editor on videos, show reels and promotional material, and has written pitches and treatments for both feature films and television series. He has experience working in theatre as a stage manager, assistant venue manager and AV projection designer. His recent theatre work includes stage managing Marthinus Basson’s Mirakel and Die fel omstrede kroon, Edward II & Gaveston. Philip has worked as director, editor, and cinematographer on personal projects, including short films and a web series. He was the co-director and editor of A Feast in Time of Plague, which screened at the 2020 Encounters International Documentary Film Festival and 2021 Garden Route International Film Festival. Philip is in the process of writing and developing his own plays, one of which featured at the 2022 Teksmark festival.

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