Major film being shot in Jo’burg

FILMING of the United Artists drama, ‘Hotel Rwanda’, has recently begun in Johannesburg. The triumph of arranging this large-scale movie to be shot in Gauteng lies with the two-year-old Gauteng Film Office (GFO). Since its launch in 2002, the GFO has increased investment into the province through overseas film productions, and Hotel Rwanda is its latest achievement. Some of the reasons U.S. producers gave for choosing Gauteng as a film destination was the infrastructure, the skills pool amongst film crews, and the locations. An estimated 8 000 to 10 000 jobs have been created as a result of the film being shot, partly in Alexandra Township and partly in Modderfontein, where the actual hotel set has been constructed. Hotel Rwanda is directed by Hollywood's Terry George (Screenwriter Academy Award nominee ‘In the Name of the Father’), whose directing credits include ‘Some Mother's Son’ and ‘A Bright Shining Lie’. The international cast includes Don Cheadle (‘Ocean's Eleven’), Nick Nolte (‘Prince of Tides’), and British actress, Sophie Okonedo (‘Dirty Pretty Things’). Heading up the stellar local cast are Desmond Dube, Mothusi Magano and Leleti Khumalo. Based on true events, Hotel Rwanda is the story of a real-life hero whose love for his family provokes him to remarkable acts of bravery during a time when the small African nation is embroiled in a genocidal civil war. "This is an African story that we all can relate to. It's important that the story be told, so we should never let it happen again,” stated Themba Sibeko, ceo of the Gauteng Film Office. (Miguel de Sousa)