I can almost guarantee that each and every South African has heard a joke about the Van Der Merwe’s – the butt of many South African jokes. In fact, every country has one. In Ireland, it is Paddy and in Israel, it is. Now, the butt of South Africa’s favourite jokes is coming to the big screen. ‘Van Der Merwe’ is a quirky new comedy about the underdog and will be released in cinemas nationwide on 28 July, 2017.
Complete with his misconceptions, biases and characteristic inability to succeed, Van der Merwe is sure to make you laugh, cry and above all, cringe, as he attempts to right a grievous wrong, or make a fool of himself trying. With a loving wife, gorgeous daughter, a feisty father and a soon-to-be British son-in-law, you will be left believing in sheer luck, good or bad.
“I wanted to make a film about a single character, like ‘Ace Ventura’ or ‘Zoolander’, but with a South African flavour. Van is part of our culture, a character we can all relate to. He has a history and a place in our hearts. Bringing him to life on the big screen is something a lot of people want to see,” says director and screenwriter, Bruce Lawley about his debut feature film. “We’ve all heard the jokes, but who is the man behind the myth? Who is Van der Merwe and what is he actually like? What would someone need to be like and how would they behave if they were to be the butt of all jokes? That is what the story is about. On a deeper level, the film is about overcoming differences, being true to oneself and about never giving up, no matter what the odds might be.”
Set on a farm in South Africa, the film centres around Van’s daughter, Marike, who returns home from a gap year in England with her new fiancé, George, a British medical student. This sets the scene for all sorts of problems and challenges. Not only does Van have to come to terms with the fact that his daughter is marrying an Englishman, but he is also pressured by his bossy, staunchly traditional father to put an end to the relationship. This puts him in a precarious situation with a difficult choice: risk the wrath of his father by condoning the wedding, or obey his father, whose approval he so desperately wants, and risk losing his daughter forever. When the family of the English fiancé arrives on the farm, the fireworks really begin as the clash of cultures results in a number of side-splitting incidents and hilarious situations, as we witness some classic Van der Merwe jokes played out in front of our eyes. Sounds hilarious, right?
Rob Van Vuuren plays the title role. Not only does he nail the overall look and feel of the character, but Rob is also guaranteed to make audiences laugh from start to finish. “We needed an actor with great comedic timing, in terms of both the physical comedy aspects and the dialogue. Rob is a great actor and really professional,” Bruce said. “He is incredibly funny and he brought the right mix of heart and humour to the role. He was passionate about creating a memorable and iconic character and was prepared to do whatever it took to do so. He has really funny and interesting facial expressions, very expressive eyes and a playful nature – all perfect for the character of Van.”
Joining Rob is Chanelle de Jager, who plays Van’s wife, Suzette. Suzette is the voice of reason and is determined to save the day, while Ian Roberts can be seen as the overbearing Oupa Van, who is bound to strike a chord with any audience. Other actors that can be seen in the movie, include Adrienne Pearce, André Jacobs, Rika Sennett, Erica Wessels, Louw Venter, Benedikt Sebastian, Matthew Baldwin, Neels van Jaarsveld and Melt Sieberhagen to name but a few. Kurt Darren also makes a cameo appearance as a wedding singer and Barry Hilton plays Freddie, the barman and Van’s best friend.
“‘Van Der Merwe’ is a feel good film. More than anything, we want viewers to leave cinemas smiling and with the positive message that no matter what your circumstances – or shortcomings – are, things will be okay. But you have to be able to laugh at yourself. You can’t take life too seriously. Be true to yourself, keep trying, and keep smiling,” Bruce concludes.
‘Van Der Merwe’ hits screens around the country on the 28th of July 2017.
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