Greytown Girl: A South African film nominated for Cannes Film Festival
Greytown Girl, a poignant biopic about a South African girl overcoming adversity through love and letter writing, has been nominated for an award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
Greytown Girl supporting actress Uveka Rangappa and lead actress Sanam Sitaram
Image: Supplied
LOCALLY produced film Greytown Girl has achieved a remarkable feat by receiving a nomination at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in France.
Celebrated for its compelling narrative and emotional depth, the biopic highlights the true story of Meena, a small-town South African girl who rises above her physical limitations and finds love in the most unexpected ways.
Set against the backdrop of 1960s South Africa, Greytown Girl is directed by the acclaimed Oscar-nominated filmmaker Darrell Roodt.
The film, which found its footing in cinemas for an impressive 12 weeks following its release last year, tells the tale of resilience and the indomitable spirit of a woman who defies all odds through the art of letter writing.
Greytown Girl has been nominated in the best independent feature film category.
The 78th annual Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 13 to 24 May at the Variétés Movie Theatre in France.
The movie was written by Rani Sitaram and co-produced by Sitaram and Asgar Mahomed.
Sitaram said the nomination was an incredible honour.
"Greytown Girl is a story of love, hope, and perseverance that transcends borders. It is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of women globally and the beauty of finding love against all odds.
"It was unusual for a SA film to be so popular and to be in cinemas for so long. But this was a true story that was told with love," said Sitaram.
AB Moosa, CEO of Nolava International Content Distribution and executive producer of the film said: "We are thrilled that Greytown Girl has received this prestigious nomination at the Cannes Film Awards. This film is a testament to the power of storytelling, capturing the resilience and courage of a remarkable woman who inspires us all.”
Meena, played by Sanam Sitaram, is born disabled through a forceps delivery. Believing she was abandoned, little Meena bravely creates a life for herself at an orphanage.
Only when Meena is able to walk independently can she return to her parental home. With a new family and a language and culture that are foreign to her, the courageous Meena finds her new normal.
Meena’s father Veer, played by Jack Devnarain, teaches her to read from glossy magazines, where she discovers pen pals. Meena writes to friends all over the world. Just one writes back.
Meena’s American pen pal Eddie Gibson is deeply impacted by her letters. Through the romance of letter writing, Meena and Eddie fall in love, even when it seems they will never be destined to be together.
Other cast members include Emmanuel Castis, Shaleeni Ranchhod, Rahul Rai, Natashia Portrag, Uveka Rangappa, Satchu Annamalai, Suria Govender and child actors Reya Govender, Yuva Maharaj and Sanaah Chotai.
The film was shot around Durban in oThongathi, Greytown, Mount Edgecombe and Mariannhill.