A Filmmaker:
Oliver
Hermanus
"Greatness is simplicity. Great people, great things, great achievements, they’re usually achievements of simplicity. It’s the heart of something, the truth of it – for me, greatness is that truth."
Deep Connection

Profile of an Icon
Oliver Hermanus
When Oliver Hermanus was fourteen, he made his first film. Titled Déjà vu, it was a gruesome horror film that starred his cousin, ruined his friend’s carpet with tomato sauce, and ultimately landed him a spot on TV. “I can’t remember how the film got the attention of KTV,” he laughs. “But the movie was so gory that they couldn’t show it on screen.” While he may not have recognised it at the time, this was an early tell of Oliver’s inclination to challenge his audience.


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In Conversation
Oliver Hermanus
Director Oliver Hermanus tells Gary Van Wyk about his journey from wide-eyed teenage film-buff, to the golden boy of provocative South African cinema, and why he believes that South African moviegoers ought to be challenged by the reflections of themselves they see on screen.
Creating
A Portrait
A series of behind the scenes images reflecting the 21 icons team at work.
Hermanus is pictured holding a TV set in front of his torso, on which an image of the director beside a sprawling river is seen. A literal reference to his work within the medium and to the title of his award-winning film, The Endless River, the portrait also holds a more personal significance. The image on the screen is five-years old and was also taken by Gary Van Wyk, bringing both the photographer and his subject full-circle, and referencing a deeply personal journey of creative success.