Heartfelt South African musical drama chronicles a young person's journey to maturity
In the heart of South Africa, a captivating coming-of-age story is unfolding on the silver screen. "Kanarie", an Afrikaans-language film with English sub-titles, has been making waves in the film industry, garnering multiple awards even before its release.
The film's protagonist, Johan Niemand, portrayed by Charl-Johan Lingenfelder, is called up for military service at the age of 18 in 1986 South Africa. Johan auditions and is accepted to the SADF Choir called the 'Canaries'. His emerging creativity and passion for music lead to direct conflict with his commanding officers, as his love for music and self-discovery clash with the rigid military life.
Charl-Johan Lingenfelder, who studied Musicology, Drama, and Classical Culture at the University of Stellenbosch, brings a unique blend of talents to the film. Not only does he star as Johan, but he also composed the soundtrack, for which he won Best Soundtrack at the Silwerskerm Festival 2016 for the feature "Johnny Is Nie Dood Nie". Lingenfelder's contributions extend beyond the music, as he was also the cinematographer for "Kanarie" and has been involved in other film productions as a director of photography.
The film's original screenplay is a collaborative effort between Olwagen and Musical Director Charl-Johan Lingenfelder. Christiaan Olwagen, the director of "Kanarie", studied Drama at the University of Stellenbosch, specializing in Theatre Directing. Olwagen's film debut was in 2013 with the short film "Toevlug" at the Silwerskerm Festival in Cape Town, which won Best Director, Screenplay, and Best Short Film at the festival.
Olwagen's feature film debut was in 2016 with "Johnny is nie Dood nie", for which Lingenfelder won several awards, including Best Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Art Direction, Music, Best Director, and Best Film at the Silwerskerm Festival.
Johan falls in love with a fellow choir mate and starts to question everything about himself and his world. As the story unfolds, Johan's journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance becomes a powerful testament to the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity.
Lingenfelder has worked in various locations such as Paris, San Francisco, New York, Hong Kong, Athens, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, and Indonesia. He has collaborated with many theatre greats including playwrights Eve Ensler and Athol Fugard, musicians Vanessa Mae, Sibongile Khumalo, Loyiso Bala, and choreographers Gregory Maqoma and Veronica Paeper. Currently, he is the Resident Musical Director for the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town.
"Kanarie" has won multiple awards, including 'Best Feature Film' at the kykNET Silwerskermfees and 'Best Narrative Feature' at the 36 Reeling Film Festival. This powerful musical drama is a must-watch for anyone seeking a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant film experience.
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