Tsotsis cash in on Tsotsi
2006-02-07 22:56
Johannesburg - Pirate copies of the South African movie, Tsotsi, that was nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign movie category, are already being sold on street corners and in stalls in Gauteng.
But, there is a snag.
The pirate copies end differently to the way the real movie ends.
Ferdi Gazendam, executive chief of Ster Kinekor, said the production team had shot four different endings for the movie.
And, the pirate copy used one of the alternative endings.
Gazendam said on Tuesday: "The pirate copy is an early version of the movie."
Helen Kuun of Ster Kinekor'distribution department said the movie ended completely different to the pirated version.
"The pirate copy runs for 101 minutes, and the movie is only 96 minutes long. It's one of the first versions shot by the production team.
"It did not go through the correct process and is not the final mix," she said.
Kuun said the cover of the pirate DVD also differed from the final version of the posters.
James Lennox, executive chief of Safact, South Africa's watchdog against pirate copies, warned on Tuesday that the quality of the pirate copy was not the same as the real movie.
He could not be reached for comment on how the pirate copies would influence ticket sales at cinemas.
The movie opened at local cinemas on Friday and has already earned R526 676.
This is about 250% more than the movie, Yesterday, which was nominated last year in the same category.