South Africa's homegrown film sector is struggling

May 08, 2008 Just after principal photography wrapped in November on "Hansie," one of the more intriguing projects to shoot recently in South Africa, the producers learned that a major source of their funding had disappeared. Just as South Africa seemed to be increasing its profile on the global movie scene, with an Oscar for 2005's "Tsotsi," a burgeoning infrastructure and top-notch crews, "Hansie" was a reminder that -- in terms of indigenous moviemaking -- the country still has a long way to go before it can join the ranks of other leading filmmaking nations. What is so maddening for insiders is that South Africa is flourishing as a destination for foreign film projects, even as it is floundering when it comes to its own.

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