Johannesburg - Award-winning film-maker Brett Michael Innes says he hopes his new film provides some much-needed laughter for South Africans, following yet another challenging and difficult year.
While Innes is best known for making audiences reach for their tissues with his heart-wrenching dramas like the SAFTA-winning Sink and Fiela se Kind, his latest offering looks set to show a different side to the film-maker.
The writer-director has pivoted to comedy in his latest offering to bring to life mocumentary comedy Daryn’s Gym.
“We’ve all had a tough year… From lockdowns to load shedding, so I really look forward to sharing a film with the country that makes people laugh and celebrates our commonality, as opposed to the things that divide us as South Africans,” Innes told the Saturday Star this week.
“I want this film to be a big hug that makes the viewer forget about the challenges we’ve faced in 2021.
The film was released last week and is available nationwide on eVOD, eMedia’s latest online streaming service .
Set in a family gym in Randburg, it sees the lovable Daryn jnr pitted against the ruthless owner of a multinational fitness centre, as he fights to keep his family legacy alive.
The film introduces audiences to newcomer Clifford Joshua Young, but also boasts a star-studded cast that includes local favourites Natasha Sutherland, Hlubi Mboya, Siv Ngesi, Deon Coetzee and Carla Classen.
“The story was inspired by the location, one which I drove past everyday for about 20 years,” says Innes.
“I used to gym at a large franchise and, right next to it was a tiny independent gym called Body Conscious. I’d always wondered how they managed to stay afloat with such a large competitor next to them, and that gave birth to the plot for the film.
“As life would have it, we ended up actually using that very gym as the location in the film, so life and art collided. The character of Daryn jnr, however, was crafted entirely around Clifford Joshua Young, an actor who I’d known socially whom I felt would be perfect to lead our mismatched family.”
The film also stars actress Hlubi Mboya, who plays the role of Funi, the ruthless owner of a multinational fitness centre.
Innes says it was an easy decision to cast the excellent Mboya in the film.
“Hlubi really has that magic about her that just causes the camera to come alive when she’s on screen. While not known for comedy, I was specifically looking for actors who had a strong drama background, and she comes with a wealth of experience in this space.
“Her fitness background definitely made her stand out as an obvious choice, but it is her skill as an actress that sealed the deal. Where most South African comedies tend towards slapstick and caricature, I wanted this to feel rooted in reality which meant we always played to ‘truth over the punchline’.”
Innes was also full of praise for the rest of the cast.
“This is Clifford Joshua Young’s first time on screen and he earned it from his audition to the final take. Everyone else were actors I’d either worked with before or knew of through their profile, with a couple who were suggested by agents.
“The only one who didn’t audition was Siv Ngesi and I love that he reminds the rest of the cast of that whenever they step out of line.”
The film was shot in winter over three weeks during the third Covid-19 wave, providing Innes with plenty of challenges.
“We shot the film in winter during the third Covid wave, which meant we were freezing our asses off while struggling to talk to each other through our masks. Making a film is an exercise in organised chaos, so the added element of Covid compliance meant that we really had to bring our A-Game if we were to get the footage and not walk away with an infection that could shut down production. I’m proud to say that we succeeded in both.”
Despite the challenges, Innes was committed to making this film, he says.
“I love the finished product, my lockdown baby that I never thought I’d have. I’m the heavy drama guy, doing films like Sink and Fiela Se Kind, so I was hesitant to pivot into comedy and had actually lined up another director to lead the film, while I wrote the screenplay.
“But, as the world and characters hit the page, I fell more and more in love with them. After my producing partner, Paulo Areal, suggested that I do it, I decided to take the leap and jump into new territory. And I absolutely loved that I stepped outside my comfort zone.”
Innes is thrilled by the final product, and believes Daryn’s Gym is the movie that all South Africans need after yet another challenging year.
“This is exactly what South Africans need to watch now. As I looked back over what I’ve watched this year, I realised that I didn’t have the emotional bandwidth to engage with heavy material and figured that I needed to create the kind of stuff that I wanted to watch during this time.
“I feel that it’s going to meet audiences where they’re at and remind us that, contrary to what we read on the lavatory wall that is social media, most South Africans actually like each other and want to live in a country that’s united.”
Asked what the feedback has been like of the film so far, Innes says: “Unlike with drama, comedy doesn’t lie. If a gag or a punch line is delivered and you don’t get a laugh, you know immediately as a film-maker if you’ve succeeded or not.
“We’re referring to this film as a ‘Marmite Film’, you either love it or you think it's the worst thing you’ve ever encountered. Fortunately, we've had enough screenings to know that the comedy lands with the Marmite crowd and make no apologies to people who don’t like this style of comedy, if they walk away with a nasty taste in their mouths.
“The film isn’t trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator but rather stand in a certainty of its flavour profile and play to those who like it.”