(DOP
Brian McFall with Megan Howard & Stephanie Macdonald)
The much awaited release of Life’s Easy, St Anne’s College feature
film has finally arrived. The film will premiere at a red carpet Gala Evening
followed by two public viewings.
Shooting a film was a ground-breaking
approach to the school’s 2011 Major Production and makes St Anne’s College a
notable pioneer within the school arena for the move beyond theatre to
expanding the girls’ experience within the film industry. This is no small feat
considering that almost every element of the film was an in-house endeavour in
a manner that has been dubbed “gorilla film-making”, meaning there was no
budget except for a nominal amount designated for equipment hire.
Essentially, the staff and girls who
committed themselves to the film have done so out of love and enthusiasm for
this unique performance project. Girls who enter the performance industry will
need to be versatile and able to inject their skills no matter the direction
taken. This production has been invaluable to those involved in that regard in
preparation for tertiary study and/or a career in the arts.
The school commissioned Andrew Ness to
write the script in February 2010 with the instruction that they wanted it to
convey meaning; that the script had to speak to its audience; namely, a
generation of teenage girls. The finished product finds three major issues
facing teenage girls attributed to and personified by the three main
characters, each played by Grade 10 girls. The characters end up having to
overcome any differences they may have to work together.
Ultimately, it becomes clear that there is
a connection between them and they support each other. It sends a very positive
message and conveys clearly the importance of building lasting relationships.
While the film was shot on location in and around St Anne’s, it is not about St
Anne’s College. Rather, it portrays the many challenges pertaining to young
people in society, and raises questions in terms of how young people experience
the pressures of their context.
Director of Photography, Brian McFall and
Producer and Director, Lynn Chemaly, have done the post-production edit and the
result is a full-length feature film. The film promises to be entertaining and
insightful and showcases the talents of the girls and the beautiful surrounds
of the school.
The film includes original music by Dawn
Selby and Richard Guinness and features Julia Armstrong, Naledi Majola, Liese
Kuhn, George Niven, Moira Filmer and Andrew Gilfillan.
Screenings of Life’s Easy will take place on October 16 and 17 at 19h30 at The
Theatre-St Anne’s College. Tickets R50 (R30 concessions) cooked on 033-343 6100.
For more information visit www.stannes.co.za
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