FINAL CHANDA'S SECRETS FILM POST -- THEN ON TO ARGENTINA!

A few last memories before heading home, then off again to blog about Argentina and Cuba!

The shot above is of some of the extras getting ready for the last scene outside Chanda's front door. Extras are always a problem for continuity and editing. Generally speaking they're amateurs and have little sense that a short scene can take a day toi film. Or that it MATTERS that they be in exactly the same position for each take. See the woman in the blue hat? At various times, she decided it was too hot to keep her hat on! Fortunately, the ace continuity editor had an eagle eye and digital shots of every take. Before "Cameras Rolling And Action" she'd sweep in to ensure that the hat was back in place.

More memories. Of the outdoor market, a farm, and a flowers that grew out of an unturned tree:







And here's me getting an interview from a TV crew in from Berlin. I was on set during press week and there were TV, radio and print reporters flying in each day from Germany and up from Johannesburg. Some actually wanted to talk to the author of the book. I also got to do a really fun interview for the DVD Extras section. So even if I'm not up on the screen, you can hear me blabbing on on the rental. :)



I'm including this shot just because :)



Finally, here's a shot from down the road, and also of a couple of kids' toys I saw hanging from a clothesline.





But wait! I still haven't told the true story of the missionaries and the hyenas! So next post, back to the bush for a quickie before we head home! AND OFF RIGHT AWAY AGAIN TO CUBA AND ARGENTINA!!!

Till then,

Allan

UPDATE: The film adaptation of CHANDA'S SECRETS is called LIFE, ABOVE ALL and will premiere as an Official Selection at the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival.

CHANDA'S SECRETS FILM: BEFORE LEAVING...

Soly with his real mom.


Iris with her real Mom.

I'm now back in Canada. The film is on hiatus until February when everyone returns to shoot the opening scenes. Mama has been instructed to pack on the pounds. When the film runs in sequence, we'll see her heavier and healthy at the beginning, and losing weight as she becomes sicker.

It's been such a great time and I have hundreds of photos more than what I've shown. Over this post and next I'll show you a few of my favourite shots that you haven't seen. I'll also fill you in on a couple of fun stories, both from the set and off. Such as: In real life, Iris is descended from local royalty. You can see it in her bearing. It's part of why she's able to hold herself so well and naturally against Chanda and her elders.



Speaking of Chanda (Khomotso Manyake), she's a real find. Like all the kids, she's sooooo natural, and a true delight. The lead adult roles are all played by professional actors out of Johannesburg and Cape Town; that's also where the lead tech and camera people come from, aside from a few from Germany. But a few of the cameo roles, and all of the kids, are from the area. In fact, in real life, Chanda lives at the end of the road, which is part of what makes the interactions of the child actors and the extras so utterly human and believable. And it's a main reason why Chanda, Iris, Soly and Esther are so perfect: They never 'Act'. They simply are -- always real and in the moment.

BTW, the cameo role of Mrs. Gulubane, the spirit doctor, is played by a real spirit doctor! How's that for authentic!

Speaking of authentic, let's close this post with a couple of neighbours from behind Chanda's house:




Till next time,

Allan

UPDATE: The film adaptation of CHANDA'S SECRETS is called LIFE, ABOVE ALL and will premiere as an Official Selection at the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival.

HOW CHANDA'S SECRETS GOT TURNED INTO A MOVIE

This is Oliver Stoltz, producer of the film version of Chanda's Secrets. Unfortunately, he had a serious stomach ailment during the first phase of the shoot when I was in South Africa, so this photo is taken from his website. (Oliver, you're way more attractive in person! Get a new photo!:))

I first met Oliver in 2005, when he was in Toronto promoting his Emmy-nominated documentary Lost Children, about child soldiers, at the documentary film festival Hot Docs. (It also won the German Oscar for Best documentary, and a host of other international awards.) I contacted Oliver as a research lead for my then-upcoming novel Chanda’s Wars. Oliver had first-hand experience with former child soldiers, having filmed in Uganda’s Gulu and Padr provinces, barely escaping attacks from the Lord’s Resistance Army. (He's WAY braver than me. Also a little crazy. 'Ask my mother,' he says.)

Despite his hectic schedule, Oliver took time to meet me twice and had me as his guest at the screening. I gave him a copy of Chanda’s Secrets and we said so long. A little later, I was in Germany doing a reading tour for my German publisher, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, and Oliver and I reconnected in Berlin. He still had that rumpled just-rolled-out-of-bed look -- which I had first thought was because of all the press he was doing for Lost Children, but turns out to be just the way he looks.

(BTW: Here's the German cover of Chanda's Secrets. They titled it "Things We Don't Mention" in German. Apparently it's an expression used in Germany to refer to WWII; the publisher thought it would resonate with the German audience, and communicate the hush-hush nature of Chanda's struggle.)


Oliver told me how much he loved Chanda, and that he hoped to film the book in an international co-production with his German film company Dreamer Joint Venture Productions. On my next reading tour for dtv, this time for the German edition of Chanda's Wars (Chandas Krieg), Oliver introduced me to director Oliver Schmitz. Those of you follow this blog will know him already, but to newcomers, here's a shot of Oliver at work with Chanda and Mama:


And here, BTW, is the cover of the German edition of Chanda's Wars I was promoting:


Schmitz is an expatriate South African whose work has shown at Cannes and been well-received throughout Europe and Africa. (He was part of the directing collective with the Coen Brothers on Paris je t’aime.)

The commitment of both Olivers to my work, and their personal familiarity with the world and life of the novel, gave me utter confidence. I was also pleased that they took my suggestion of screenwriter -- the wonderful Dennis Foon. I gave them the contact info for the publisher, Annick Press, a deal was negotiated with Annick's film representative, and Oliver (Stoltz) went and got financing and a distributor. (He's co-producing with South Africa's Enigma Pictures; Bavarian International is the distributor.)

I have been treated so well. The Olivers and Dennis listened carefully to my notes on the adaptation -- something rare and to be treasured in the world of filmmaking. Maybe I'll chat about a few of the differences between book and film at a later date -- but all of the slight changes make sense in terms of film and completely adhere to the vision and story of the novel.

Next time, some candid shots around Elandsdoorn. Then home!

Cheers,

Allan

UPDATE: The film adaptation of CHANDA'S SECRETS is called LIFE, ABOVE ALL and will premiere as an Official Selection at the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival.

CHANDA'S SECRETS FILM: MEANWHILE, OFF CAMERA...

It's lunch break, and the Three Musketeers, aka Iris, Esther and Soly, are enjoying the time off in pink bathrobes. Barbecue sauce and ice cream have a habit of ending up on costumes. Wardrobe thinks of everything!

Meanwhile, Martin Hamer stands on the road outside Chanda’s house:



Martin is a little bit crazy. Well, a lot crazy. If he weren’t so tall he’d be an elf. If he weren’t so young he’d be Gandulf. The lunatic gleam in his eye is because he’s the line producer. That means he’s responsible for budgeting; in other words, he’s guy who tells the director what he can and can’t afford to do. He negotiates salaries (“If you pay actor X this salary, you can’t afford to hire Y”); has a say in script development (“No we can’t fly a plane into a volcano”); and is involved with assessing the costs of various locations. If you ever want to lose weight be a line producer: The job is a guaranteed stress diet.

BTW, see the empty road Martin is standing in? Well this road looks almost exactly the same as the road immediately behind Chanda’s house where the makeup and wardrobe tents and trucks, drivers cars, and dressing rooms all hang out. Notice a difference?



And here are the back neighbours' yards, rented to production:



Lost in this city of trucks is the catering tent. I’m standing behind Mr. Nylo the ragpicker (Vusimuzi Nyathi). Note the zombie look on Mr. Lesole (Tshepo Monyanye) to my left. “Eat. Must eat.”



Here’s one of the coolest and funniest guys on the production: Donovan Roberts-Baxter, the unit production manager. The production manager is in charge of organizing calls, locations, cast and equipment, and fixing screwups. He’s a combination Enforcer and Den Mother.



You may have noticed Donovan’s left arm: it’s the leg of a massive dragon that goes over his shoulder and across his chest. He also has a major tattoo of his name across his stomach. Presumably this is in case he forgets it after a late night party. (He’s from Cape Town, after all.) He won’t flash the stomach tattoo at the moment -- unless he’s done a hundred sit-ups first -- on account of “all the excellent catering that’s been going on.”

Donovan says his current tattoos are just the beginning: he plans to have his ENTIRE body tattooed. “Your ENTIRE body?” “Yeah.” (Hmm. I wondered about that too.) He’s leaving his hands and face, though, so his mother will recognize him. If anyone can carry off a full-body tattoo, he can. All the same -- Shout-out to Donovan: So maybe your plan’s not a crime against nature, like spray painting graffiti on a Michaelangelo. But if I looked like you I wouldn’t want people focussed on my tattoos! (Do I have a seconder? :))

Back to the tour. There’s a crowd of extras gathering in front of Chanda’s front door. This scene took eight hours to shoot and is unbelievably moving. I’m talking tears for days. Between takes, one of the catering guys was always around with sandwiches.



Director Oliver Schmitz has a bite while the crew set up for a tracking shot on Chanda’s porch.



Take a close look at this photo. In the background, Chanda’s makeup is touched up. In the foreground, the director of photography, Bernhard Jasper, sits on the track; the camera will move parallel Chanda as she walks out of the house. You’ll also notice Blid Alsbirk from the neck down -- she’s the stills photographer from the distributor, Bavarian International. And to the left are some of the extras who will confront Chanda.



Continuity is one of the most important jobs in any film. The fantastic continuity and script supervisor is Lorna Bennet. She’s responsible for making sure everyone, especially the extras, are in the exact same position, with the same accessories, in every take. Some scenes can have up to seventeen shots with five to seven takes per shot. Making sure everything matches in the editing room is critical.

(Behind Lorna is producer Oliver Stoltz’s assistant, Daniela Ramin. I want to do an entire post on Oliver, who is the reason this movie is being made. Unfortunately, he’s recovering from a nasty stomach problem which has laid him up in Germany. But he'll soon be good to go and joining the shoot.)



What makes Lorna’s continuity work so challenging is that the script is being shot in the language of Pedi (or northern Sotho) -- a world first. So being able to match word and image is incredibly hard. There are two translators on set. Each shot has quick file subtitles that go to the editors in Germany. Unlike movie-house subtitles which pare down the dialogue, these must include every word, frame by frame, so the editors don't cut dialogue in mid word or sentence. Lorna is astonishing for knowing when the actors leave out dialogue or fluff lines. She also uses a digital camera and monitor to double check crowd positions between takes.

Here’s an example of the kind of book Lorna creates, shot by shot, take by take, for the editors; it includes which takes had sound, line or other problems, which were ideal, and which have sections that can be salvaged with a cross cut.



Lorna and others need to sit away from the action. Here she and Freddy are posted at the back of Chanda’s house, observing a scene at Mrs. Tafa’s place on a monitor.



And here’s the audio mixer, Ivan Milborrow, with a take about to begin, fretting about cars, kids, drums, roosters and airplanes -- any outside sound that can wreck a take.



It’s never ending. Sixty crew plus catering security and cast. And I haven’t even mentioned the casting director, transport managers, set captains, drivers, camera assistants, production director, art director, set decorators, wardrobe, makeup and props personel, stunt co-ordinators, editors, or post-production, much less the producers! Even organizing a shoot for an intimate family drama like Chanda’s Secrets is staggering in its complexity.

So staggering, I think we all need a break. Next post, let’s go on safari!

Till then,

Allan

UPDATE: The film adaptation of CHANDA'S SECRETS is called LIFE, ABOVE ALL and will premiere as an Official Selection at the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival.

CHANDA'S SECRETS FILM: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Deciding to shoot Chanda’s Secrets on location was a gutsy move by the producers. Take financing. Even though South Africa is a relatively stable and prosperous country, the word ‘Africa’ makes bankers twitch: They don’t seem to understand that Africa is a continent, like Europe and North America, and that countries within the continent can be doing just fine, thank you very much.

But shooting a film in rural SubSahara has other headaches besides financing. There are electrical outages. Heat and dirt can gum up cameras, monitors, cables and mikes. And getting consistent outdoor light in rainy season is a trick and a half.

Plus, while most exterior on-location shoots have complications with traffic noise, I don’t know of too many others that have to deal with Spirit Doctor Schools. There's one around the block from Chanda’s house. It's not like anyone's been threatened with a spell or anything, but the drumming can be a problem. Especially when it kicks in during a quiet, intense scene like Mama's return from Tiro.

Still, who can resist the countryside at the top of this post? Or imagine a more authentic contrast between Chanda’s place and that of her wealthy neighbour, Mrs. Tafa, than the real-life homes below?



Here, by the way, is Mama’s bedroom before she leaves for Tiro. (A real room worked on by the art department.)



And here’s Chanda’s school. (The school’s real-life principal, shown here, is the only person around right now, aside from the cleaning staff. In South Africa, students are on summer break during December.)



You’ll recall that in Chanda’s Secrets, Esther and her brother and sisters were split up after their parents died. Esther was forced to live in a shed on the property of a very strict auntie and uncle. Here it is in real life, and as you'll see it on screen:



Below is the local cemetery where Mrs. Tafa's son and Chanda's little sister are buried. It goes on forever, even though Elandsdoorn is a village of only a few thousand people. (The current HIV/AIDS infection rate is 40%, Yes, 40%. That’s one of the reasons that everyone involved in the production, especially local extras and crew, are so committed.)



And here are the ruins in the country where Chanda goes in search of her mother.



Chanda can’t find her anywhere. Then she sees the tree. I don’t know how to describe it, but when I was at this ruins, I was filled with a sense of the otherworldly. It’s a holy place. You can feel it in the film, too.



I'm told that in the countryside around here, people buried their relations under a tree close by so they could live with the spirits of their ancestors. I can’t help but feel the pain of the last family members who disappeared, and of their dear departed left behind.

* * *
If you've read Chanda's Secrets, you'll know that many of the locations shown above are a little different than the way they’re described in the novel. (You can see the difference in the grave sites, for instance, by going to my website, www.allanstratton.com, and clicking Photo Gallery next to Chanda’s Secrets.) The reason is simple: The film is being made in and around Elandsdoorn and the nearby town of Groblersdal, South Africa, whereas my novel is a fictionalized version of Francistown, Botswana.

Yet no matter how different the specifics, I think the locations are a perfect match for the spirit and imaginative space of the novel. They hold a truth that no constructed set could possibly manage. That’s why the producer's decision to shoot this film on location in SubSahara, no matter how problematic, was so utterly right. The honesty and authenticity of it all leaps off the monitors and daily rushes.

There are so many other locations: the shabeen (local pub), the dam, the herbal doctor's place, the truck stop where Esther works (in the novel, Hooker Park), the evangelical church, but I hope these give you a flavour of things. In the near future, I’ll be blogging about how Chanda’s Secrets came to be transformed from novel to film. I’ll talk about my meetings with the Olivers: producer Oliver Stoltz in Toronto and Berlin, and director Oliver Schmitz in Berlin. I’ll also be going into the bush with you on safari! For now, I leave you with some happy ducks at the side of the road.



UPDATE: The film adaptation of CHANDA'S SECRETS is called LIFE, ABOVE ALL and will premiere as an Official Selection at the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival.

CHANDA'S SECRETS FILM: "I'M READY FOR MY CLOSEUP, MR. DeMILLE"

This is one of Chanda’s roosters (chickens?). I’m afraid I’m no good at figuring out the gender of barnyard animals, except for the ones with horns and obvious extra bits. Which, considering my grandparents and uncle were farmers is pretty embarrassing. (Hmmm, I’m thinking maybe that red thing on top means he’s a rooster.) Whatever, he’s got attitude. Fortunately, he’s about the only one who does, which on a film set is remarkable.

For sure, Oliver (Schmitz), the director, is attitude free. He’s totally focussed and in control but always with a smile and a sense of humour. Here he gives a notes between takes to Chanda and her mom.



Oliver likes to keep the tone light and friendly on the set, which is especially important with a story as heavy-duty dramatic as Chanda’s Secrets. Today, they’re shooting the scene where Chanda’s stepdad Jonah is dumped out of a wagon in front of Chanda’s yard. He’d abandoned the family after the death of baby Sarah. Now, it’s clear he has AIDS -- and Chanda is confronted with a terrible truth: "I think about their dead babies. I think about the way Mama's gotten so thin. Mama's problem isn't headaches or arthritis or fatigue. It's bigger. It's... Please, god, no." This is one of the scenes I’m most proud of -- the one I almost always do in public readings.

Anyway -- writing and acting tip -- the more dramatic the material, the simpler you have to be. Oliver likes his actors to be loose between takes, so they don’t overlay the drama. For instance, here’s Mama playing with her cane between takes.



And here she is seconds later in character, getting her makeup touched up, as she prepares for the A.D. to call, “First positions, please!” She is suddenly Mama, desperately ill, preparing to go to see the man she loved, the man who left her, the man who is dying in front of her yard.

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And this, by the way, is Jonah (Aubrey Poole), between takes. I don't want to spoil anything, so just let me say that what happens after his brother-in-law unhitches the wagon and he topples onto the road will break your heart.



I promised in my last post to post pictures of some of my readers’ favorite characters who appear in both Chanda’s Secrets and Chanda’s Wars. Here are the Lesoles (Refilwe Sihlangu and Tshepo Emmanuel Monyane). They’re as much fun as they look in their picture. (Mr. Lesole works at a safari camp up north; in Chanda’s Wars he will be attacked by child soldiers.)



And here is the conniving busybody, and Chanda’s nemesis, Mrs. Tafa (Harriet Manamela).



In real life, Harriet’s warm and gracious -- terrific qualities for Mrs. Tafa’s turnaround. Here she is off-camera with Chanda. My gosh, aren’t they just purrrrfect?



UPDATE: The film adaptation of CHANDA'S SECRETS is called LIFE, ABOVE ALL and will premiere as an Official Selection at the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival.

CHANDA'S SECRETS FILM: TAKE ONE

Arriving on set was a blast. Everywhere I looked I saw the characters from Chanda's Secrets come to life. In all cases, their spirit was what I'd imagined. In other cases, the actors even looked as I'd pictured them. I'll leave those of you who know the book to tell me which actors you think most closely match their characters. (I'd really love to hear your impressions.)

But first, here's the director, Oliver Schmitz, an ex-pat South African living in Germany. (He fled to avoid the apartheid draft.) He's well-known in Germany and has shown frequently at Cannes, but is perhaps best known here for being part of the director's collective (including the Coen Brothers, Sam Rami et al) that did Paris je t'aime. I first met Oliver several years ago in Berlin on a reading tour for Chanda's Wars. He struck me then as absolutely straightforward, committed, sensitive, and intelligent. (My thought at the time: And he works in film???)

Oliver laughs that he and his crew started the shoot discussing technical matters in German. But unfortunately, German sounds like German. As a result, the entire cast thought they were constantly angry. At them. So Oliver banned German from the set and everyone now speaks English which most people, whose native dialects are Tswana, Pedi, Ndebele and Africaans, can understand.

Okay, then. to the actors. For those of you who don't know the book, the key thing to remember is that it's about the love of family, the fear of stigma, the pain of bereavement and the courage to live with truth. Lillian, Chanda's mom, develops HIV/AIDS, and Chanda is left to raise her little brother and sister. So the chemistry between them is vital. Here's a candid shot of Chanda (Khomotso Manyake) and her mama (Lizzie Soeketa). Did I mention chemistry?



And let's not forget little Iris and Soly. Iris is a bit of a brat who bosses her younger brother, Soly, a shy, vulnerable little bedwetter. When I first took this shot, Iris (Mapaseka Matheba) kept jumping up and down to see it on my camera screen. She screamed with delight and began kneading my arm. I'm told we're some of the first white people she's ever met, and the only ones she's been able to touch. For his part, Soly just grinned shyly and pointed at himself on the screen. Did I mention Iris has gold earrings that she plays with, and that Soly's front teeth have just come in? Too adorable.



In fact, Soly and Iris are so adorable I think they deserve another picture. Whadeya say? This one is of the kids at quiet play in the background of the scene where Chanda goes to ask Mrs. Tafa for her phone.



The last of the young people is Esther (Keaobaka Manyane). Esther is Chanda's best friend. She's lost her parents to HIV/AIDS and her brothers and sisters have been scattered among her aunties and uncles. Esther turns to the street to try and earn the money to get them back. She is raped and beaten and goes to Chanda, who takes her in.



I'd pictured an Esther about fifteen or sixteen whose loss has turned her self-destructive. Some ofn that would have been hard to capture on film, given the time limits on dealing with Esther's story. Casting her younger maintains the tragedy while focusing on the dream-denial kids have about the risks they take. Although Esther's rape and beating take place off screen. I imagine this will be a very hard scene to watch. Which is as it should be.

I know I haven't shown the adults yet , other than Mama -- I mean, where's Mrs. Tafe, Jonah, and the Lesoles? I hear you complain -- nor included any back of set material. Forgive me. It's just I'm terrified my photos won't load -- it's taken over half an hour already for these, and I think I should quit while I'm ahead. (Did I mention the Internet is slow here in rural south Africa?

But here's a sneak preview from the next blog: Oliver off to give notes during a break between takes of today's harrowing scene in which Jonah, dying of HIV/AIDS is dumped outside Chanda's home by his sister and brother-in-law.



OMG! Stay tuned.

P.S. If you want updates to get to you immediately as they come out, just press the little do-hickey either under this post or at the end of the blog. And if you think the blog's fun, please pass it along, especially to anyone who knows Chanda.

UPDATE: The film adaptation of CHANDA'S SECRETS is called LIFE, ABOVE ALL and will premiere as an Official Selection at the 2010 Cannes International Film Festival.