World cup SA Rugby captain, Siya Kolisi and his wife, Rachel Kolisi who have both expressed their feelings towards GBV in the past have now shifted some of their focus from sports to film and are now producing a film titled “We are dying here.”
The film which is a stage adaptation from playwright and producer Siphokazi Jonas focuses on the ramifications of all the violence, torture, rape etc. South African women deal with from South African men on a daily.
Mrs Kolisi took to Instagram to share a trailer of the film with her followers in a post which read:
“So VERY excited to announce that in association with the @kolisi_foundation@siya_kolisi_the_bear & I are executive producers of our very first film! We couldn’t be more proud to have partnered for a short film that is massively impactful and needed now more than ever! The Film is a South African short film based on the stage production #WeAreDyingHere. A poetic indictment of the prevalence of Gender-Based Violence in South Africa. We can’t wait for all of you to see it! ❤️
The Kolisi’s have also expressed their feelings towards the film and what they hope people will learn from it:
“One of the most beautiful results of this film is that it causes people to stop, think, and, more so, encourages men and women to have conversations. Like the title, it gets straight to the point. There are many things that need to be unpacked in this film and there is a lot that can be explained.The narrative of the film also teaches you that gender-based violence doesn’t start with the violence, but the whole thought process. The film encompasses a lot of educational learnings for us as men.”
The playwright of the film, Siphokazi Jonas also explained in an interview with the SABC what the play is about: “the play is an interpretation of experiences with GBV by different women”.
According to saferspaces.org: “Gender-based violence (GBV) is a profound and widespread problem in South Africa, impacting on almost every aspect of life. GBV (which disproportionately affects women and girls) is systemic, and deeply entrenched in institutions, cultures and traditions in South Africa.”
President, Cyril Ramaphosa has also called GBV a second pandemic after Covid-19 in the country.
The Kolisi’s saw first-hand how great GBV is affecting women in their province and the numerous cries from women in their communities at the Kolisi Foundation.
