New South African movie
Hard to Get, a love story set in Johannesburg's crime underworld, opened the 35
th Durban
International Film Festival.
Directed by first-time feature director Zee Ntuli and produced by Junaid Ahmed and Helena Spring, the film tells the story of TK, a handsome young womaniser from a small community who falls for a sexy, reckless thief nicknamed ‘Skiets’. Thrust into the big city's underworld, TK decides his best bet is to trust Skiets - and hang on for dear life.
“The criminal gauntlet parallels the emotional journey of TK and Skiets, providing a metaphor for how scary falling in love can be,” said Ntuli. “Ultimately it is a hopeful story, one which carries the message that love is worth fighting for.”
Co-producer Spring said she and Ahmed were “thrilled to be launching major new talent with
Hard to Get”.
“We are incredibly proud of the work that director Zee Ntuli, his team and cast, have delivered. There is already a great deal of buzz around the film, and we have no doubt that a bright future awaits them," said Spring.
According to the The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF),
Hard To Get is the first of a slate of films that Ahmed and Spring are producing to showcase the talent of previously marginalised black filmmakers in South Africa. Ahmed praised the work of Ntuli and co-writer TT Sibisi, saying
Hard To Get “heralds the arrival of exciting new voices in South African cinema”.
The two leads, Thishiwe Ziqubu and Pallance Dladla, are both electrifying, as well as director Ntuli, who is virtually guaranteed a bright future on the global filmmaking stage on the basis of this first feature.
To view the trailer of
Hard to Get, click
here.