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08 January 2019 | Story Charlene Stanley | Photo Charlene Stanley
Film and Visual Media
Johanet Kriel-De Klerk, Chris Vorster, and Martin Rossouw in the auditorium at the Visual Hub, where a lot of time is spent watching and analysing films.

Three years ago, an oblong yellowish-green building arose between Pellies Park and the Beyers Naudé male residence, housing state-of-the art filming, editing, and viewing facilities, and sporting the promising name ‘Visual Hub’ on its exterior.  With this, an exciting interdisciplinary honours degree in Film and Visual Media was introduced.

While the interior and facilities still provide a brand-new impression, lecturers reflect that they’ve come a long way over this period, finding a delicate balance between practical and academic components. 

Not traditional “film school”

“This is not ‘film school’,” lecturer Chris Vorster explains. “Although we have an intensive practical component that sees our students producing a short film at the end of their training, our emphasis is on equipping students with a thorough academic knowledge of film history and analysis.”

Only 15 students can be accepted each year. Applicants should have a degree in the Humanities, scoring at least a 65% average in their final year.

Over the course of a year, students are given a viewing list of selected movies, illustrating different aspects of visual storytelling, film development and techniques, but which also relate to the societies that produced them in revealing ways.

Broadening students’ viewing experience

“Most people tend to get stuck in their favourite genre when it comes to watching movies. We considerably broaden students’ viewing experience,” says Vorster. “We give them as wide a base as possible. When they walk out of here, they can go on to specialise in anything from directing to writing film reviews.”

He usually advises students to see the year after completing their degree as a ‘practical year’, doing volunteer work in as many fields of film production as possible to see what they enjoy most, and then work hard to become a specialist in that field.

“The film industry is a tough world. You really need a great amount of talent and drive to make it.” 

LECTURERS’ FAVOURITE FILM GENRES:

Chris Vorster: DRAMA AND THEATRE ARTS

Science fiction crossed with psychological thrillers, and all that shouts, explodes, devours, hits, and disgusts.

Johanet Kriel-De Klerk: HISTORY OF ART AND IMAGE STUDIES

Indie (independent) films, as they strike a good balance between profound art and everyday entertainment.

Debeer Cloete: DRAMA AND THEATRE ARTS

Science fiction. A great favourite is Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence [2001]. Spielberg was asked by Stanley Kubrick’s widow to direct this film after Kubrick’s death in 1999. It stays true to Spielberg’s own aesthetic approach while incorporating Kubrick’s approach to cinematography and fragmented narratives.  

Martin Rossouw: HISTORY OF ART AND IMAGE STUDIES

So-called boring philosophical art films, such as those of Terrence Malick.

News Archive

New generation must take South Africa into the Promised Land
2012-07-23

 

Prof. Somadoda Fikeni talks about Reconciliation and Social Justice on Nelson Mandela Day.
Photo: Johan Roux
18 July 2012
 

Former President Nelson Mandela was part of the Moses generation that took people out of bondage. What the country now needs is the Joshua generation that will take it into the promise land.

This is according to political analyst and public commentator, Prof. Somadoda Fikeni. He was speaking to staff and students participating in the Global Leadership Summit, which took place on the Bloemfontein Campus from 8-20 July 2012. Prof. Fikeni took part in a panel discussion on Justice and Reconciliation. He and other panellists observed that there were still many challenges facing reconciliation in South Africa.

Referring to controversial statements made by Helen Zille, Julius Malema and Pieter Mulder, Prof. Fikeni said public discourse had become toxic and that the country was faced by a leadership crisis.

Ms Yasmin Sooka, a former Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Executive Director of the Foundation for Human Rights South Africa, asked if reconciliation had not come at the expense of redress. She said that to date there had been no restitution.

Ms Lihlumelo Toyana, a post-graduate student at the university, was also part of the panel. She told the audience that 18 years into democracy, there are still people waiting for justice. Toyana said young people hoped to see change and wondered if South Africans would ever sit down and have dialogue about the past. “We need closure; we need to take the country forward.”

The other panelists were lawyer, politician and former Human Rights Commissioner Prof. Leon Wessels; a professor from the University of Cape Town’s Law Faculty, Prof. Jaco Barnard-Naude; and psychologist, Prof. Alain Tschudin.
 

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