Kabous Meiring makes her directorial debut with the Silwerskerm feature film Die tragiese saak van Pamina Vermaak (The tragic case of Pamina Vermaak)

If you didn’t devour Annie Klopper’s hit novel Die tragiese saak van Pamina Vermaak, you’d be excused for thinking a film with such a weighty title will be a melancholic affair. Bookworms will set the record straight immediately. Like the easy-to-read chick lit novel, this Silwerskerm Festival feature film is a delightful romantic comedy. In addition, the outstanding actress Carla Smith plays know-it-all Pamina, who ends up back in her small West Coast hometown after spectacularly losing the plot. Here she crosses paths with a floundering rock star. 

Popular kykNET presenter Kabous Meiring makes her directorial debut with Pamina’s so-called “tragic” case, and Jaco Nothnagel, with numerous TV and short films to his credit, is the producer.

When Die tragiese saak van Pamina Vermaak hit bookstores in 2018, Bibi Burger described it as “Griet skryf ’n sprokie for the Fokofpolisiekar generation” on LitNet.

Kabous and Jaco answer a few questions about the film version.

  

  • How and why did you decide to make a feature film of Die tragiese saak van Pamina Vermaak?

“Annie Klopper and I were talking at an event when she told me about her new coming-of-age novel, before it was even on shelves. I was curious about the unusual title, and Annie thought the story should be a feature film. She there and then asked if I would make the movie, and I said “yes” immediately, even before I’d read the book. Probably because I like Annie’s work and the disparity of her life: academia, the wild rock and roll, poetry readings, being a mother and writing for young people.

  • How closely does the film resemble Annie’s story?

Jaco: “One of the biggest challenges in adapting a book to film is to visually depict the characters’ inner world in a way that captivates viewers. Pamina remains Pamina. She is a strong lead character which made it easy to create a universal film. We often jokingly said that we all are, or have been at some point in our lives, a Pamina.”

Kabous: “There are, however, big differences and Annie was part of the team that made the adjustments. The ending of the movie is different to the book, and it now takes place in 2023/2024. So, some of the main characters, even though they’re still young, are not that rock ‘n’ roll. It’s become a nice mix of Gen X, Millennial and even Gen Z.”

 

 

  • Kabous, why the shift behind the scenes? What was your biggest challenge as a first-time director?

Kabous: “I’ve always wanted to direct a film but was curious about many aspects of the industry, and decided to hone other skills. Now that I’ve finally directed a feature film, I can say it’s a lot of fun! Thank goodness.

The biggest lesson I learned was to tinker with the script late in the process. Although it was necessary, time management is extremely important. When you are on set, you have to shoot. However, time and budget pressure do have a positive impact on the creative process. I went about it democratically, and the wonderful crew and cast were generous, patient and smart with their input.”

 

  • Die tragiese saak van Pamina Vermaak is mostly set in a picturesque West Coast village. Where did you film? 

Jaco: “The book references a specific town on the West Coast, so we jumped in the car one weekend to see if it would work. Logistically it was a ‘no’. After that, we did a recce of 11 different towns and, in the end, settled on Velddrif. Our cinematographer, Johannes Pieter Nel, has family in the town. The more we walked up and down Bokkomlaan, the more we fell in love with the place. Some of the other locations are owned by famous musicians.”

 

  • Do you have behind-the-scenes stories to share?

Jaco: “The bike. Oh, the bike! Pamina’s bike – a ‘hero prop’ as we call it – was stolen one night. We had to find a similar bike in a hurry, and our art department worked hard to make it look like the same bike for continuity purposes. News spread like wildfire in Velddrif, and within two days the bike was back, minus the wheels.

Kabous: “There are two scenes where lobster and fish are caught respectively. Could we keep the props alive? Alas, no. I think Reg Hart, our prop master (and he’s one of the best), still has PTSD. The people of Velddrif and Dwarskersbos were incredibly hospitable. The two well-known hotels in town insisted on hosting us. It must sound like my priorities are all wrong but the food was fabulous.

 

  • The film’s soundtrack is exceptional. Tell us more.  

Jaco: “Getting published music for a film can be a big headache. So, we relied on our network and many artists were extremely generous to us. The ever-brilliant Charl-Johan Lingenfelder composed the rest of the soundtrack.”

Kabous: “I had a lot of songs in my head beforehand, and Eva du Preez, a strong hand as editor, came up with more. Ultimately, the soundtrack became an ode to our identity as South Africans – to show what we are capable of in the country, the different genres and sounds, its diversity. There are tracks from Hunter Kennedy, Henry Ate, Margot Rothman, Bobby van Jaarsveld and Mimi Coertze’s ‘Magic Flute’, if you know what I mean.”

 

  • In a nutshell, why will people love this film?

Jaco: “Carla is incredible as Pamina, and the supporting actors make the world three-dimensional and extremely relatable. Pamina can be quite shocking when she lets rip but once you realize that she simply doesn’t have a filter, you want her to have a happy ending. But will it happen?”

Kabous: “The South Africanness is palpable in various ways without being self-conscious. It’s all part of Pamina’s journey of improvement. It’s simple: ‘You can either flee because of your embarrassing behavior’ (to quote the movie), or you can admit your mistakes. The latter obviously has a better outcome.”

In addition to Carla Smith, Christiaan Schoombie, Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Lee-Ann van Rooi, Albert Pretorius, Duane Williams, Armand Aucamp and Rolanda Marais star in the film.

Die tragiese saak van Pamina Vermaak screens at the festival on Friday 25 August at 16:30 and will be available on DStv BoxOffice thereafter.