Go to Nicole’s Interview    |   Go to Jabu’s Interview     |   Go to Emilie’s Interview

‘I hope that I have and will always have a sensitivity to my work. A vulnerability and openness that comes from truly sharing parts of me. In my personal life, I am a very private person, but in my work I hope to be entirely exposed, naked.’

Q from Emilie for Jabu Newman: You have an incredible eye for photography, how do you feel this has aided your filmmaking, if so?

Photography is such a good experimental tool. I think it laid such a strong artistic foundation in me, and helped me explore and experiment with imagery. Photography helped develop my gut instinct when it came to framing, light, colours, and subject and pushed me to be really curious about characters, stories and worlds on a smaller scale. Photography teaches you how to work independently first, trust what you are attracted to and just play.

Q from Emilie for Jabu Newman: You create such a wide variety of work, from drama to comedy, to experimental and all of those require such a range of skill and craft. What do you feel is your strongest trait as a director and how do you feel that influences the genre or style you enjoy most?

It’s so hard for me to know what my strongest trait is, I think it’s probably just my own unique background and experience. Growing up I was exposed to the arts a lot and was trained in ballet, classical piano and fine art. I think this has cultivated an appreciation for beauty and craft within me and essentially helped me work in a variety of genres. Ironically, I also love science, maths, history and of course literature and film. I suppose this thirst for knowledge and skill means my references are vast and varied, which I’m very thankful for.

Q from Emilie for Jabu Newman: As a director who is multifaceted and creates within commercial and film, what would that thing be across the board that when people look at your work they go ‘that was Jabu Newman’s work’?

I hope that I have and will always have a sensitivity to my work. A vulnerability and openness that comes from truly sharing parts of me. In my personal life, I am a very private person, but in my work I hope to be entirely exposed, naked. I also love working with hybrid genres and styles. I’d love to make people laugh and cry within split seconds of each other.

Q from Nicole for Jabu Newman: You are starting to work internationally, how does your international work affect your local work and vice versa?

It’s been a really amazing experience working in different countries, working with different crews and dealing with language barriers. As a filmmaker it has been a challenge but one I happily ran toward, because it has allowed me to grow so much. One thing is for sure, the South African crews are stellar! I love to travel. I find it incredibly inspiring, and yet it always reminds me about the work and stories I want to make at home.

Q from Nicole for Jabu Newman: I so admire how you are always pushing yourself, learning, and studying. Can you talk a little about that?

I heard once that a director should know a little (or a lot) about everything, so I’m just trying to do that and put my 10,000 hours in as many different ways as possible.

Q from Nicole for Jabu Newman: If relevant to you, can you talk a little about how women have helped you on your journey?

Honestly, there are an endless amount of ways women have helped me in my journey and my career. But practically there are small tangible ways that women have really been there for me along the way that I believe gave my career the chance that it needed. From my gran who let me film all of my series and various other projects in her house to my mostly female crew who gave their time to help me in realising some of my first projects. The women who I am so thankful for now are endless but my producers at ROMANCE and all the women directors out there are especially inspiring to me. But honestly, the list is truly endless.

Q from IDIDTHAT for Jabu Newman: You have previously voiced your love for telling stories about your generation, has this focus shifted and how do you think you’ve grown as a director?

No not at all. I think the more specific, localised and intentional the story is, the more universal. So yeah, I’m still really interested in telling the stories of a generation that I belong to.

Q from IDIDTHAT for Jabu Newman: What is your favourite piece of work that you’ve shot and why?

I would have to say ‘The Dream That Refused Me’. It was such an incredibly collaborative experience. I felt like I had free reign and I got to work with my friends, community and people who I’ve either wanted to collaborate with or have had a long withstanding work relationship with.

Q from IDIDTHAT for Jabu Newman: If you had to choose a piece of work directed by Jabu and Emilie that you wish you directed, what would it be?

Go to Nicole’s Interview    |   Go to Jabu’s Interview     |   Go to Emilie’s Interview

‘I will always push to take this approach of working collaboratively with actors, even in the most time-sensitive commercial projects I tackle. Sure each project is different and asks for different outcomes, but there will always be a way in which I try to connect on an even deeper level with the performers to allow them to tell the stories with me.’

Q from Jabu for Emilie Badenhorst:  You studied drama, what skill do you think it gave you in directing?

I feel like so many of my skills in this industry came from studying performance, from breath work, to other voice work, to improv, to choreography and blocking etc. But I would say the most crucial thing that I took away from those years was ‘a way of thinking and seeing’. Seeing each and every project or product as something that must be improved and find a deeper meaning, honesty or intention. It allowed me to never be just content with a performance, but push through difficult questions or new approaches with each performer, until you actually believe them. Even in the smallest little details or scenes that others might think as just a cutaway or a ‘quick’ moment.

Q from Jabu for Emilie Badenhorst:  What is your favourite piece of your work from the past year and why? 

Narrative-wise, it would have to be our new short film ‘’n Doop om Stilte’ / ‘Baptism of Silence‘ which is now on the festival circuit, because it opens up the conversation of ‘Where does toxic masculinity transfer itself from generation to generation in this country, that we are still seeing an increase in GBV?’. And also to be honest, the young men and boys we were able to work with and how much fulfilment and purpose they found during this project has meant more to me than any award could ever.

Commercially I would say the work I did for ‘Google Pixel X Women’s World Cup 2023’ in the UK starring Lauren James and local women footballers, because of our complete and utter organic approach in simply filming the footballers for who they are and how they live and breathed football. When someone opens up their world to you and that same world revolves around the sport you are both so obsessed with – there’s nothing quite like it!

Q from Nicole for Emilie Badenhorst: I’ve always been so inspired by your passion projects can you talk a little about your process of coming up with ideas and what draws you to those pieces of work?

That is so cool to hear Nicole and I LOVE this question! You know why? Because I am in love with where my inspiration comes from, it is so embarrassing but so exciting to me. Every single passion project, from films to music videos are based on my hometown, my upbringing, my friends, their lovers, my lovers, the spaces I associate myself with that are so often on the outside of mainstream culture and society, the problems, conflict and misunderstanding that lie in these spaces and then lastly, my church. I kid you not. I will sit down and not 10 minutes later, be overwhelmed with a visual and euphony tapestry of ideas and a drive of importance to craft them.

From there I just build playlists, mood boards, recordings and write down personal and vulnerable experiences. Often the things that you as a creative think ‘Ah I can’t write this down, it is too intimate, it is too personal’ – but isn’t that why we’ve been blessed to create, utilising those emotions and moments, then passing them on to a character, allowing them not to be yours anymore. Anyway, I am getting sidetracked. And often I would build different sensory worlds, not knowing yet where it would lead me, but soon an opportunity arrives and then we create. We tell that story, in whatever form it is meant to be told.

Q from Nicole for Emilie Badenhorst: You have such an incredible sensitivity for performance, can you talk a little about your process of working with actors?

Thank you for saying this, (also same to you Nicole). I believe the MOST important thing in working with actors when it comes to the process for me is trust. Connecting, bonding and allowing the actors to let you in and trust you goes beyond anything for me. I will spend time connecting with actors way before we start the shoot and simply ask them about their experiences or anything relating to the project and topic at hand. I will delve deeper and deeper into the conversation, prioritising it over any other time-consuming activity until I feel they will be able to play freely and give a very dear and personal part of themselves to the character that they will be playing.

Q from Nicole for Emilie Badenhorst: Can you talk a little about how women have helped you on your journey?

To be honest, both men and women have made imprints in my journey, but if I can be so forward to speak about you Nicole. You have actually made a really big impact on me in this industry. Not only by the complete selfless sharing of knowledge, the always-making-myself-available-if-you-have-any-questions, the detail and care with which you answer my questions that are seeking for knowledge, but mostly because I have gotten to know the industry as an extremely competitive space, and you completely debunked that stereotype for me. You have reshaped the way I understand and celebrate that we can as women flourish and create excellent work alongside each other, strengthening one another and being there for one another, because at heart, none of us belong to the exact same goal and project, we are all so different.

Lastly the women producers at ROMANCE and what they have taught me about endless love, support and fighting spirit. Ja, there isn’t enough space in this interview, to be honest.

Q from IDIDTHAT for Emilie Badenhorst: Almost two years ago now we spoke to you about your music video for Strangers and how driven you are as a director to tell stories about those not always represented in media or seen as ‘strange’. Has this shifted over the past two years? 

No, this has not shifted in the slightest, on the contrary it has only been strengthened. This will always be part of my intention as a storyteller in the industry, to reveal how multilayered and complex we are as human beings, in the mundane and not-so-mundane moments of life.

Q from IDIDTHAT for Emilie Badenhorst: Your short film Ekstasis saw you working very collaboratively alongside your actors, does this happen in all your commercial work too or do you have different approaches depending on the project?

I will always push to take this approach of working collaboratively with actors, even in the most time-sensitive commercial projects I tackle. Sure each project is different and asks for different outcomes, but there will always be a way in which I try to connect on an even deeper level with the performers to allow them to tell the stories with me.

Q from IDIDTHAT for Emilie Badenhorst: If you had to choose a piece of work directed by Jabu and Nicole that you wish you directed, what would it be?

Off the bat none, because I could not imagine any of them being something that they aren’t in its totality. But I can tell you which I can appreciate most?