The horror film, which Ayanda says will be the scariest thing you have ever watched, premiered on Sunday, 31 October. The hidden message is that it paints a picture of gender based violence especially towards women.
The film was created by producers of Devilsdorp and that enticed viewers even more as the true crime docuseries was a hit. DStv announced that this film highlights how dangerous it is for women to live in South Africa, "Every Day is Halloween for Women in South Africa. Danger, fear and violence are a reality, with approximately 2695 women being murdered in a year. These are not titles for a horror movie, they are GBV statistics."
As a lead actress, Ayanda Borotho automatically became the face of the campaign they created with the film. Speaking to Daily Sun, Ayanda said she sees so much of her in the character she plays, “Our country is filled with horror stories of women being killed every day. The violence is experienced both in public and private spaces. The character I portray is barricaded in her home, looking out of a window with a sense of danger lurking outside her door.
“Women can’t escape the violence they face in this country daily, no matter how hard they try. We are trapped in our homes with abusers and killers known to us and the community. Outside the home, we are harassed and hunted. We are separated from our children and families because we are running from physical and emotional danger,” said the actress.
On her social media, Ayanda said she has never done something like this before so she is nervous but at the same time happy to be able to spread her wings.
"I've never done this before. It was the scariest and yet one of the most fulfilling things I've done. I don't like being too comfortable. There's no growth in doing what you already know over and over. So we delve into new territory, we fall over and and over (because we don't know it all), until we get it right. We will keep pushing the boundaries and laying the foundation for generations to come. Art is a calling. A gift and honour back to uMvelinqangi, our Creator. Chase purpose, not money. Money follows the purpose," she wrote.
“I’m in a film! I play lead in a very thrilling film that I got to be a part of. It is premiering on 31 October on the DStv Box Office. It’s going to be thrilling. It’s a horror, you guys, I hope you’re ready. If you think you’ve seen horror, scary movies, like you ain’t seen nothing yet,” she said.
“Of course, it was a little bit hard at first when I heard about it, and herd it was a horror, because I though 'us' and horror'. For every horror that I’ve watched, I literally scream through it, so how do you expect me to be in the movie when I battle to watch the movies?” she laughs.
“But you know when the director sat me down and told me about the vision and what they want to do with this, there was absolutely no way I could’ve said no,”
“There were scary moments, there were really sad moments when I looked at the reality of what this film is really about. And like I said, really thrilling and I know that you guys are going to find it as thrilling as I did. It speaks to everything I am and believe and I know that you’ll be emotionally invested in it as I was when making it,” she added.
The viewers can assist by donating to DStv box office and the monies collected will be paid to the Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation. Uyinene's story touched thousands of people, young and old as the rape and murder happened at a place everybody goes to on a daily - the post office.
Uyinene was on her way to collect a parcel when she was told by her murderer, an employee at the Post Office, to return later on. But that was after hours where he would be able to carry out his plan. She died in 2019, and her story is one of many others out there.
