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GEORGE NEWS & VIDEO - For local writer James Fouché almost everything happens in George's coffee shops. That is where he met Chris Wilson, the director of his crime drama television series Crossing Borders, and Aphiwe Nqevu, a motivational speaker from Thembalethu, who proved to be the perfect candidate for the lead role of an immigration officer.
It is just fitting that the last day of filming on Tuesday 4 May took place at Elvis Brew Padstal, with celebrity actor Neels van Jaarsveld and loads of coffee, to finalise a proof of concept* soon to be presented to Netflix.
Van Jaarsveld, whose sister lives in George, said he absolutely loves the project and is positive that the success of their work will put George on the map. "I play this witty, quirky undercover cop. James gave me a lot of poetic licence to make the character my own," he said.
A large audience
Fouché said the idea for a TV series that he believed would appeal to a large South African audience, took form a while ago. "I wrote the script and sourced funding from a local investor - over a cup of coffee - who was as excited about the project as I was. I found a local director who shared my passion to have the series picked up by networks and registered a production company called Spill the Milk Productions to guide us through the legalities of filming," he said.
"Celebrity actor, Neels van Jaarsveld, got on board after he had a look at the script. From there we got a local cast and crew together and began planning the shoot."
Aphiwe Nqevu in the lead role as Bhongo Mhlophe, during a film shoot in Thembalethu.
The filming started over the weekend of 1 to 3 May in Thembalethu with the assistance of the security company FVS Guarding and ER-24 for on-set medical services. Fouché is very excited about the prospect to secure a large-scale production for George. "The aim is to use the production as a means to develop skills and to uplift the community in the process of filming the series here in George," he said.
Watch a video below:
Car guard turns actor
The actor who plays the role of an illegal Zimbabwean immigrant, Paco Vena, used to be a local car guard. He too resides in Thembalethu. Marlene Fouché, James' wife, explains how stunned they were when Vena approached the stage with his natural talent. "He needed little guidance. When the cameras rolled, he lit up and owned the stage."
Asked about his new career as actor, Aphiwe Nqevu, who plays the lead role, said he is loving it. "Being a motivational speaker enables me to pursue other career options. This is truly amazing."
Photo gallery: Film shot locally in Thembalethu
Follow the series' social media feed on Facebook and Instagram @crossingborderswithbhongo and James Fouché @jamesfouchewrites.
Actors unite. From left are Paco Vena (as an illegal immigrant), Neels van Jaarsveld (as inspector Bennie Willemse) and Aphiwe Nqevu (lead role as Bhongo Mhlope). Photo: Michelle Pienaar
* A proof of concept is a 15-minute portion of a pilot episode for a series, said Fouché. "This short video will be used to pitch the entire TV series to an International TV network with the hopes that they will buy the full series. We have Netflix in mind."
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