About Me...

I was born in 1977 in the working class township of Coranationville, West of Johannesburg, South Africa. From the time I watched my very first film at a cinema, which was Steven Spielberg’s E.T, I was captivated and fell forever in love with the magic and beauty of cinema. I will never forget telling my mother that I was going to be the Steven Spielberg of Africa. I was twelve at the time. Not really knowing what that meant at the time, I held on tightly to that dream.

After finishing high school I enrolled at the Newtown Film and Television School in Johannesburg. On the first day we were made to watch Spike Lee’s "Do The Right Thing" and instructed to write an essay about the meaning and impact of the film. I had never seen Black people on screen like that before. I was captivated. After watching it, I knew I was doing the right thing. I had to be a filmmaker. I’ve now been a filmmaker for 14 years. After graduating in 1998 I worked on a number of high-profile productions for Unicef New York, local broadcasters SABC, DSTV, MNET, Mzanzi Magic as well as established local brands, South African Breweries, Hansa and Metro FM.

I have made a number of short films. A 10-minute film called "My Name is Jacob" about a small township boy who tries to save but loses his sick mother. I also wrote, directed and produced a 26-minute short film, "The Lovers" about a woman sinking into the depths of madness after her lover is killed. As well as the 26-minute film "Southern Cross" which follows the journey of young woman in a small town struggling to choose between the life she knows and a future she doesn’t. My work has been featured and recognized by the Durban International Film Festival, the Rialto Film Festival in Amsterdam as well as the Brazilian Short Film Festival. I am currently developing my debut feature film, SALVATION, a powerful multi-narrative drama about the power of forgiveness and faith. I would describe my style and approach as deeply personal, dreamy, lyrical, observational, character driven narrative. I’m always striving to represent people of color and women in ways that we have not been seen before. With my films I aim to create cinematic universes that delve into the beauty of the emotional psyche and human experience. It is my hope that my films will be haunting, thought provoking, change perceptions, empower, inspire and bring just a tiny bit of happiness and light into the lives of the people who watch them.

Some of my favourite filmmakers include Terence Malick, Spike Lee, Jane Campion, Jean Luc Goddard, Andrea Arnold, Martin Scorsese, Carlos Reygadas, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Djbril Diop Mambety, Ousmane Sembene, Ingmar Bergman, Wim Wenders, Pedro Almodovar, Steve McQueen, Alfonso Cuaron, Michel Gondry, Lars Von Trier, Jonathan Glazer and Claire Denis.