On Saturday September 17, South African NGO Heartlines, in collaboration with the SABC, unveiled a new film series called Heartlines Fathers Matter that uses the power of story to support the positive and active role of fathers and men in children’s lives.
The third of the six short films in the series, Everything a Boy Could Want, airs on SABC 2 this Saturday (October1) at 8.25pm.
Everything a Boy Could Want explores the strained relationship between a father, Martin (played by Jacques Blignaut), and his son, Lester (played by Jordan Brown). Lester has everything money can buy,
except what he longs for the most – the love and approval of his father. When Martin insists that his son go to boarding school so he can follow in his father’s rugby footsteps, they are forced to take a bumpy road trip together that threatens to break them apart forever.
“Martin has worked hard to provide for his family – he gives them everything that money can buy – except enough love. It’s a film that will help fathers rethink their priorities,” says actor Jacques Blignaut.
Each of the films in the Fathers Matter series seeks to incorporate values-based storylines that encourage viewers to engage with key themes. In this film, Martin, from an outsider’s perspective, is the epitome of a successful businessman who has overcome many adversities to get to where he is. Yet as the story progresses, we see what a critical role the love and acceptance of a father plays in shaping us.
“The thing that touched me the most was this boy’s journey – what he had to go through, and what he had to experience… and I’m hoping that the way [in which] we filmed it, that the audience gets to empathise with that – especially the men,” says director, Zane Meas.
“Changing perceptions and behaviours around fatherhood can only be done as a collective effort involving thousands, if not millions, of South Africans. So much so that Heartlines hopes to see 5 million men, and several million women, young adults and children, get involved in the biggest campaign of its kind in Africa by watching the films and engaging in conversations about the topics they broach,” says Garth Japhet, the CEO and founder of Heartlines.
To watch Everything a Boy Could Want, tune into SABC 2 on Saturday 1 October at 20:25, or stream it on TelkomONE.
To find out more about the films and download the discussion guides, go to www.fathersmatter.org.za.
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