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Yesterday director 'thrilled'
25/01/2005 23:48 - (SA)
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| The film is showing in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. |
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Laetitia Pople , Die Burger
Cape Town - Zulu feature film Yesterday has made history as the first South African movie to be nominated for an Oscar.
The film was nominated on Tuesday for an Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Language Film for 2005.
Dubbed a "watershed film for South Africa", Yesterday is also the first feature film shot in Zulu. Other contenders for the Best Foreign Language Film title are Spanish movie The Sea Inside, France's Les Choristes, Germany's Downfall and As it is in
Heaven from Sweden.
Filmed on location in KwaZulu-Natal, Yesterday tells the story of a young mother who discovers she is HIV-positive. Director Darrell James Roodt said on Tuesday he was "overwhelmed with delight" at the
nomination and said the recognition was "thrilling" and a great honour.
"Yesterday was the last of the five nominees to be announced.
When The Sea Inside was announced, my heart sank ... how could we be in such company?" he
said, recounting the tense moment.
The power of Yesterday, said Roodt, was that it dealt with human issues and not special effects.
Nomination 'a breakthrough'
"Our film affects people deeply, it touches the heart."
He said the nomination was a breakthrough for the local film industry.
"Doors are now going to open and it is a clear signal to the world that we have a growing film industry in this country to which the international industry will have to pay attention.
"That a small film shot in the remote parts of KwaZulu-Natal now competes with the best of the world's film industry is absolutely fantastic."
Former president Nelson Mandela lauded everyone involved in the film for their "giant achievement".
"In our struggle against Aids, we need
this type of story which tells not only of the challenges, the suffering and the tragedy, but also of the hope and Yesterday deals mainly with hope." he said.
- Die Burger
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