Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story

Last updated

Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story
Ellen-the-ellen-pakkies-story-south-african-movie-poster-md.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Daryne Joshua
Written by Amy Jephta
Starring
Release date
  • 7 September 2018 (2018-09-07)
Running time
123 minutes
CountrySouth Africa
LanguageAfrikaans

Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story is a South African drama film, directed by Daryne Joshua. Based on true events, the film tells a story of the damaged relationship between a woman and her son, who is addicted to drug abuse. It also narrates the itinerary of events that led to the murder of her son, as well as the legal process that followed afterwards. [1] It received multiple nominations at the 15th Africa Movie Academy Awards.

Contents

Cast

Production

Director Daryne Joshua initially didn't want to accept the role considering the sensitivity of the story. But after a personal encounter with Ellen Pakkies (the real person on whom the title character was based), he decided to go ahead with the project. [2]

Release

The film was released in South Africa on 7 September 2018. [3]

Reception

Critical reception

In his review, Peter Feldman for The Citizen praised the lead characters, as well as the script and production. Describing it as one of South Africa's best films in recent times, he gave it a 4/5 overall rating. [4] Likewise, DRM.am gave it a four-star rating, with much of its praise going for the underlying message in the film. It read that the film "...is a constant reminder how easy it is to judge somebody without really knowing the reasons behind the facts." [5] Giles Grifin for Life Righting Collective recounted from the theme of the film how the society have failed to adequately protect persons living with addicts or even the addict themselves. [3] Daily Maverick suggested that the execution of the film was so special that it should be celebrated even outside of South Africa. [6] It received a 8/10 excellent rating from Spling Movies, who applauded the "soundtrack, raw honesty and confessional drama" of the film. It also got acclaim for the social responsibility message, and was recommended as a model for other movies. [7]

Accolades

The film was screened at Rotterdam international Film Festival, as well as Seattle International Film Festival. [2] It won three awards including category for best actress, best actor and best scriptwriter at kykNET Silwerskerm Festival. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Fatal Attraction</i> 1987 film by Adrian Lyne

Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American psychological thriller film directed by Adrian Lyne from a screenplay by James Dearden, based on his 1980 short film Diversion. Starring Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, and Anne Archer, the film centers on a married man who has a brief but torrid affair with an obsessed woman who refuses to allow it to end and becomes obsessed with him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Burstyn</span> American actress

Ellen Burstyn is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex women in dramas, she is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, making her one of the few performers to achieve the "Triple Crown of Acting".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Maltin</span> American film critic and film historian (born 1950)

Leonard Michael Maltin is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of film capsule reviews, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, published annually from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film critic on Entertainment Tonight from 1982 to 2010. He currently teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and has appeared regularly on Turner Classic Movies, and hosts the weekly podcast Maltin on Movies. He has written articles for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Variety, Playboy and TV Guide. He served two terms as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and votes for films to be selected for the National Film Registry.

<i>Requiem for a Dream</i> 2000 American psychological drama film by Darren Aronofsky

Requiem for a Dream is a 2000 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher McDonald, and Marlon Wayans. It is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby Jr., with whom Aronofsky wrote the screenplay. The film depicts four characters affected by drug addiction and how it alters their physical and emotional states. Their addictions cause them to become imprisoned in a world of delusion and desperation. As the film progresses, each character deteriorates, and their reality is overtaken by delusion, resulting in catastrophe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girija Oak</span> Indian actress

Girija Oak is an Indian actress who appears in Marathi and Hindi cinema and is best known for her performances in Taare Zameen Par (2008) and Shor in the City (2010) and Jawan (2023).

Enlightenment Productions is multi-media entertainment company based in London and founded in partnership between producer Hanan Kattan and writer and director Shamim Sarif in 2001.

Vinette Ebrahim is a South African actress and playwright known for her role as Charmaine Meintjies in the SABC 2 soap opera 7de Laan. She is the sister of actor Vincent Ebrahim.

<i>Heaven Knows What</i> 2014 drama film directed by the Safdie brothers

Heaven Knows What is a 2014 psychological drama film directed by Ben and Joshua Safdie and written by Ronald Bronstein and Joshua Safdie. The film stars Arielle Holmes, Buddy Duress, Ron Braunstein, Eleonore Hendricks, Caleb Landry Jones and Yuri Pleskun. The film was released on May 29, 2015, by RADiUS-TWC. It is based on Mad Love in New York City, Holmes' unpublished memoir of her life as a homeless heroin addict living on the streets of New York City, where she was discovered by director Josh Safdie, who encouraged her to write the memoir.

<i>Moonlight</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film by Barry Jenkins

Moonlight is a 2016 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins, based on Tarell Alvin McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. It stars Trevante Rhodes, André Holland, Janelle Monáe, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Naomie Harris, and Mahershala Ali.

<i>The Barn</i> (film) 2016 American horror film

The Barn is a 2016 American horror film written and directed by Justin M. Seaman, and starring Mitchell Musolino, Will Stout, Lexi Dripps, Cortland Woodard, Nikki Howell, Nickolaus Joshua, Linnea Quigley, and Ari Lehman. The film is set on Halloween night 1989 and follows two teenage friends that end up accidentally resurrecting a deadly curse. A sequel, The Barn Part II, was released in 2022.

<i>The Wound</i> (2017 film) 2017 film

The Wound is a 2017 South African drama film directed by John Trengove. It was screened in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and the Panorama section of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. The film opened the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival 2017. It was selected as the South African entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.

<i>Columbus</i> (2017 film) 2017 American film

Columbus is a 2017 American drama film written, directed, and edited by Kogonada in his feature directorial debut. The film follows the son of a renowned architecture scholar who gets stranded in Columbus, Indiana and strikes up a friendship with a young architecture enthusiast who works at the local library. Michelle Forbes, Rory Culkin, and Parker Posey appear in supporting roles. The film premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was released in the United States on August 4, 2017, by the Sundance Institute, receiving acclaim from critics.

<i>Relaxer</i> (film) 2018 American drama film

Relaxer is a 2018 American comedy film written and directed by Joel Potrykus. It stars Joshua Burge, David Dastmalchian, Andre Hyland, Amari Cheatom, and Adina Howard. Set in 1999, it tells the story of a man playing Pac-Man in a living room. The film premiered at the South by Southwest on March 9, 2018. At the 2018 Fantasia International Film Festival, Joshua Burge won the Best Actor award for his work in the film. It was released in the United States on March 22, 2019.

<i>My Octopus Teacher</i> 2020 documentary film by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed

My Octopus Teacher is a 2020 Netflix Original documentary film directed by Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed, which documents a year spent by filmmaker Craig Foster forging a relationship with a wild common octopus in a South African kelp forest. At the 93rd Academy Awards, it won the award for Best Documentary Feature.

Jill Levenberg is a South African actress.

Daryne Joshua, is a South African filmmaker. He is best known as the director of critically acclaimed films Noem My Skollie and Ellen: Die storie van Ellen Pakkies. Apart from filmmaking, he is also a philanthropist, editor, animation designer, sound designer, media and communication director.

Jarrid Geduld, is a South African actor. He is best known for his roles in the popular films 10,000 BC, Ellen: Die storie van Ellen Pakkies and Boy Called Twist.

Love the One You Love is a 2014 South African romantic comedy-drama film directed by Jenna Cato Bass and co-produced by director himself with Steven Markovitz and Lawrence Mattis. The film stars Chi Mhende and Andile Nebulane with Louw Venter, Dayaan Salie, Mzu Ntantiso, and Lise Slabber in supporting roles. The film revolves around the secretive romantic relationship between Terri, a sex-line operator, and Sandile, a dog handler.

The South African Horrorfest is a film festival for horror and genre films in Cape Town, South Africa. It hosts celebrities, artists, filmmakers, screenwriters, and press from the horror genre. It is the longest running and only event of its kind in South Africa and the African continent. Moviemaker lists it as one of the "world's 50 best genre festivals 2021". The festival features new, classic and rare movies, pre-release screenings, dark literature, live silent film soundtrack performance, Halloween dress-up, give-aways and more.

Carmen Maarman, is a South African actress and voice-over artist. She is best known for the roles in the television serials such as Lui Maar Op, Belinda, Arendsvlei and Skemerdans.

References

  1. "South Africa: Ellen Pakkies Was 'Desperate'". allAfrica . 3 December 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 Dordley, Lucinda (25 June 2018). "Ellen Pakkies movie makes international waves". Cape Town etc. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  3. 1 2 Grifin, Giles (1 October 2018). "Film review: The Ellen Pakkies Story".
  4. Feldman, Peter (7 September 2018). "Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story review AddThis Sharing Buttons Share to Facebook Share to TwitterShare to WhatsAppShare to Email". The Citizen. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  5. "Review: The Story Of Ellen Pakkies". 11 June 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  6. Spector, JBrooks (27 September 2018). "A cinematic event that deserves wide audiences in South Africa and abroad". Daily Maverick . Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  7. "Movie Review: Ellen – The Ellen Pakkies Story". Spling Movies. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  8. Berry, Orielle (5 September 2018). "'Ellen, The Ellen Pakkies the Story': A tragic tale of the awful cycle of abuse". Independent Online (South Africa) . Retrieved 18 November 2022.