Darling only officially launched Gale as a director last week which was pretty surprising to us considering the amount of work she has already directed. Having spent the last 3 years as a researcher at the company, learning from and assisting each of the eight Darling directors, Executive Producers Melina McDonald and Lorraine Smit just couldn’t keep Gale behind that research desk a moment longer. Melina explains that because of her distinct perspective, great eye and a passion for creating raw unforgettable moments that contain real depth, Gale was already getting briefed on commercials while she was a researcher! *Clapping wildly* ECD of Ogilvy Cape Town, Tseliso Rangaka, even awarded her a Special Mention in the iDidTht Craft Awards (the most esteemed awards in the entire world). We just had to meet with her and Lorraine to find out more about this rising star.

iDidTht: Ok, Gale Maimane, we know you must get this all the time but we have to ask…

Gale Did That (Already)

In 2016 Gale was a Design Indaba Emerging Creatives participant, which according to Lorraine ‘first peaked Melina and my interest’. Hitting the ground running she then went on to direct a short film, titled Me, which was a collaboration between Gale, fashion designer Nao Serati and musician Zoe Modiga. The film was shown at the Bokeh South African Fashion Film Festival and since then she just hasn’t stopped. In such a short time, Gale has already created a diverse body of work with a unique voice and below are some of iDidTht’s favourite spots from her rapidly growing reel.

iDidTht: Your piece for Edgars got a Special Mention in iDidTht’s Craft Awards – that’s helluva impressive! Going up against some of the top directors in the country, congrats! Take us behind the scenes a bit.

Gale: Thanks so much! So – fun fact – I lost my lead at 12 the day before we shot, she was a pianist, by 6pm I found my new lead, she was a guitarist. Before the shoot the very next day, we had to compose completely new music for her overnight!
Lorraine: Gale can really roll with the punches. She stayed so calm through it all. I would have burst into tears.

iDidTht: Now onto Joko. You directed a TVC and a content piece for this campaign. Like the Facebook spots, this must have been a pretty hard campaign to work on, especially considering being a woman in the current climate.
Gale: Yes, work like this is very important to me. Being a South African woman, GBV affects me every day. JOKO was a purpose-driven, anti-domestic violence campaign that makes awareness without depicting the heinous acts committed against abuse survivors. The story is emotional and gripping without being triggering.

iDidTht: Bringing a female director’s perspective to work like this is so incredibly important, would you say that you would want to focus on these kinds of themes going forward?
Gale: Is that the only type of story I want to tell? The short answer is No. But if I can help at all or make a difference I want to. You try your hardest to do these kinds of stories justice. I don’t feel I have the right to do a bad job in this space. And of course, yes, I want to make things that have an impact or that drives positive change.

View more of Gale’s work