South Africa

by MovieMaker Staff | Published December 3, 2006

Djimon Hounsou, Jennifer Connelly and Leonardo DiCaprio in
Warner Bros. Blood Diamond - 2006

The nation of South Africa is a true jumble of cultures, to such a degree that it is said to have no single culture that defines it. In the post-apartheid world, the country is known as “The Rainbow Nation,” a nod to its cultural diversity. It’s no wonder, then, that almost 600 films have chosen to film in South Africa, many of them tackling the country’s turbulent political history, including Phillip Noyce’s recent Catch a Fire and Ed Zwickâ€™s forthcoming Blood Diamond, which opens on December 8th.With climates ranging from desert to Mediterranean to tropical, South Africa offers a variety of backdrops, and makes an appearance in many recent African-set films, such as Hugh Hudson’s I Dreamed of Africa and Terry George’s harrowing Hotel Rwanda. With extensive support for moviemakers, South Africa is an ideal option for those wary of filming in a location with little or no resources for their crew. Among the resources available are funding for native moviemakers, co-production treaties with Canada, Germany and Italy and experienced crews well-versed in coping with everything from exotic animals to remote locales.

Other films that feature South Africa include:

Sarafina!
Malcolm X
Ali
Tsotsi
Duma
The Gods Must Be Crazy
White Squall
Lord of War

For more information on shooting in South Africa, visit www.filmmakersguide.co.za.

Sound Off: Ever shot, or are you planning to shoot in South Africa? Share your experiences in the comments section!

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COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

Comment by Joseph M. Parnell on 12/05/06 at 6:31 am: I really enjoyed your article on filming in South Africa. I am in the development stage for a spy thriller to be shot in and about South Africa. Locations include: Cape Town, Sun City, The Palace of the Lost City and on the South African Blue Train. I plan to begin scouting locations in 2007. I will give you updates as they become available.
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