TOORBOS, René van Rooyen’s adaptation of renowned writer Dalene Matthee’s 2003 best-selling novel of the same name has been selected as the closing film of the ninth kykNET Silwerskerm Festival presented at The Bay Hotel in Camps Bay from 21 to 24 August 2019.
Toorbos investigates the uprooting of a young forest woman during the time of the final forest dwellers in the South African Knysna forests of the 1930s. The film tells the story of a strong woman, Karoliena Kapp’s intimate connection with the tree heart of the forest, and how it becomes a stumbling block in her experience of the man she loves.
Scriptwriter and director, René van Rooyen first read Toorbos in 2012 and immediately identified with Dalene Matthee’s honest and raw portrayal of the female psyche. The universal theme of the uprooting of people and societies is especially relevant to her as the phenomenon is still happening worldwide to this day.
She crossed paths with producers André and Dries Scholtz, and Toorbos was filmed in the Knysna forests with Elani Dekker and Stiaan Smith in the lead roles as Karoliena Kapp and Johannes Stander, respectively.
Toorbos also won the award for the ‘Works in Progress’ (WIP) programme at the Cape Town International Market and Film Festival (CTIFMF). The film was chosen as one of five films out of 54 entries from 15 Africa countries.
This year Toorbos, an exploration of female characters and writers, receives the honour to close the ninth kykNET Silwerskerm Festival during Women’s Month on 24 August in Cape Town.
“Seven years ago, during the first Silwerskerm Festival, my career began with the short film, ‘Nantes’; shortly after that I read ‘Toorbos’ and I started dreaming that it should be my next project. It’s an unbelievable honour that we’ve been granted the opportunity to close the festival.” – René van Rooyen, scriptwriter and director.
“We are overjoyed and proud that we can screen ‘Toorbos’ at the Silwerskerm Festival and it’s also an incredible honour that ‘Toorbos’ is the closing film.” – André Scholtz, producer.
“We are unbelievably proud of the film – and to have made such a beautiful film with my father, who is celebrating 50 years in the industry this year, is an even bigger honour, as he’s truly a legend in the industry. When we received the news that ‘Toorbos’ will close the festival, I was very excited, because it’s a big privilege. I believe we’re going to end the festival on a big note and people will remember ‘Toorbos’ as the film which made the Silwerskerm Festival 2019 special.” – Dries Scholtz, producer.
