In an office full of big game. Somewhere in a nice suburban villa we have a meeting with a casting director. She’s got a wonderful office with artificial zebra, tiger and leopard-skins all over the place. Joel (my South African producer) and me often talked about what kind of actors I want. And also what sort of language they have to speak. I want it to be unplaceable and simple. Perhaps even a little bit old-fashioned english. A language without an accent. No reference to any country or place.
The casting director tells us it won’t be easy to find South African actors who speak without the South African accent. I hardly can believe that. If actors are able to learn accents, I think they must be able to learn to talk without. Suddenly I remember what somebody once told me: ‘Making a film with animals, children and old people is a hell for the crew.’ I never realised, but in my film there are animals, children and old people, all together in the middle of the desert! When I realise this I get a lot of energy and forget how tired I’m.