The press conference with the cinematographer Lance Gewer and the producer Pawel Fudalkowski.

The makers of the film “Tsotsi", that is considered as one of the favorites at CAMERIMAGE festival, on their press conference were talking about the reason of adaptating to screen Athol Fugard's novel. The Polish producer Piotr Fudałkowski was interested in this book already 20 years ago. The idea was slowly growing to reach the realization. “I got interested in this story because of the touching, dramatic ‘redemption’ of the main character and his metamorphose. We meet him as one of many ruthless gangsters in the black suburbs of Johannesburg, the city-slums Soweto"-said the producer.

Lance Gewer, the cinematographer said that he accepted the offer to work on this film because he doesn’t look for the action-films but for ‘the movies touching deep matters’ and the story taking place in the reality of the African getto intrigued him. It was also very personal to him because he was born in RSA and lives there, so the problems of this society are close to him. “My skin is white but I’m not sure of the colour of my soul"- said Gewer.

As to the cinematographer’s techniques and methods used while shooting the film, Gewer said that he mainly purposed on giving birth to sympathy-empathy feelings of the audience to the main character, who finds a little baby-stranger and by coincidence gets a chance to save himself. “The less meant the more to me - this is how I wanted to reach my aim" - said Gewer. That is why he decided on the static camera shots, with no hand-camera work, as not to distract the viewers with the movement and to let them concentrate on the internal, emotional game in the “tsotsi’s" mind. Another artistic method was to use nightlight and daylight shots to make the mood of the main character more plastic. Thanks to that, Gewer illustrates the character’s self-portrait, showing his dark side as well as the more human side.

Illustrating the movie with the music of the African gettos - Kwaitto, was acclaimed by the audience. This kind of hip-hop music together with the touching scenes create the true picture of South African slums’ reality.

Gewer mentioned the great contribution in making the film of Presley Chweneyagae, playing the main part. According to Gewer “he is the Marlon Brando of Africa".

The results of the filmmakers’ work are great, what is being proofed by the festivals, for example in Toronto and in Edinburg, where Tsotsi was given the audience awards, and many other awards. It is also South African candidate to Academy Award.

Gewer ended with a complement: “In comparison to other festivals, this one is not only organized. People live on It".

Well, that is true.