In Cape Town NAT ZENO reports on a much- hyped project to film South Africa’s ravers as drug-free, eco-friendly Generation X-ers
THERE are two sides to any story and it is easy to criticise, but when sitting in film producer Chris Roland’s office listening to him wax eloquent about “the project”; you are drawn by his enthusiasm, his passion about rave (blanket concept, no sub-genres) and the collective consciousness’s role in healing the planet.
Roland is the producer of Critical Mass, the movie which will be shot in Cape Town in March next year. It’s financed with Canadian money and co-produced by C-Films (the company that produced Kalahari Harry); as well as an organiser of the upcoming Critical Mass rave “starring” Sid Shanti.
Critical Mass is the story of Chase Ryan ,who is disillusioned by the rave scene and sets off on a vision quest to bring together a bunch of people “in a trance dance free of commercialism and drugs”. But Critical Mass is more than just a movie, it is a commercial venture that has a philosophy behind it. Roland believes the message – unity and eco-friendliness – needs to be spread in order for us to reach “critical mass”. In his terms, when we can finally come together and work toward creating a better planet. The Critical Mass venture also includes plans for a record label and franchisable internet cafes, which may sound a bit like a case of hugging your dolphin and eating it.
When Roland met up with Wayne Lehrer, the writer/director of Critical Mass in Los Angeles and the idea first surfaced, Lehrer was determined to produce it outside Hollywood as he felt studio influence would compromise the message of the picture. It was then that Roland, working in South Africa at that time, suggested they produce it here.
Roland is determined this film will help destroy some of the stereotypes associated with raves – for instance that people just go out, take drugs and dance. He talks of the new way this generation has of communicating, not through words and concepts, but through music and celebration.
Dirk de Villiers, while pouring me a whisky (“the kind of spirits I’m an expert on”), comments on an insert aired on The Works about the Desert Storm rave, “When I have a couple of whiskies I may slur a bit, but those guys, hell they talk a lot of nonsense”. De Villiers has been around and obviously recognises the potential of the project, stressing how much he believes in the film’s spiritual message.
While it will be shot here, the name of the city it takes place in is never mentioned. This upsets most of us, the “Sydney Poitier could never do justice to Nelson” syndrome. But we must realise the script originates in America and its audience is there.
This explains its tagline “Generation X is about to get a voice”. If I was a raver I’d be sceptical of any enterprise with a flyer insinuating I was a member of Generation X. That’s like old guys in hush puppies who dig Winona Ryder. But it seems the term has become all-encompassing.
There are many blatant Americanisms in the film synopsis but perhaps throwing raves here prior to the filming will bring the project into context. Then again, maybe not. Perhaps we should not demand this as it’s the film-maker’s dream.
So why throw a rave before shooting the film? The Cape Town International Film Market runs from November 13 to 17 and the rave is on the 15th. Although financing is “wrapped up”, the producers remain anxious to broadcast their confidence in the picture. This is evidenced in the rave flyer which describes a company with some money to raise (no sin) and also one that is truly trying to maintain contact with it’s target audience.
Late one night I bump into one of the alleged organisers of the rave (when a rave looms in Cape Town everyone is involved in the organisation on some blurry level). I ask: “What do you think of the script ?” “I haven’t read it, I’m just helping organise the rave.” Then I ask about the critical mass concept, uniting the collective consciousness, trying to make a difference? “Fuck I don’t know” is the reply, “that’s got nothing to do with me. I just make sure everything works, it’s going to be wicked, excellent lights man, and Sid Shanti and all, I can’t wait.”
On Sunday afternoon I overhear a conversation in a deli (when a rave looms everyone talks about it in Cape Town). “All these organisers are the same man, like a paedophile waving candy to a baby.” “Yeah, it’s like do they really expect us to take this Nostradamus, celestine prophecy stuff seriously, it’s just another rave, we all know that.”
Critical Mass defines Generation X as the rave generation, which may not be entirely true and claims it is about to give us a voice. I always felt that this generation, this rave generation was (just as they claim on the flyer), an extension of what was awakened in the Sixties. That part of its desire was not to have a voice. Not to become part of the establishment noise they fight against. To communicate through music and unity and celebrate life. This is what Chase Ryan in the movie does, celebrates unity in “a trance dance free of commercialism and drugs”, after which he probably grabs a dolphin-free tuna sandwich at any critical mass cyber cafe and listens to the latest critical mass records release.