On March 24 ZA@Play and the Mail & Guardian published a story about non-payment of workers on the film Heel against the Head (“Heel against their heads“). Individuals named included director/cinematographer Rod Stewart, line producer KC Jones, actor/writer Paul Slabolepszy for the rights to the script, and facility houses Film Lab and Film Air who are owed outstanding amounts.
As a result of the story, the Mail & Guardian was sent a lawyer’s letter from Terry Dempsey of the film’s production company Thorntree. The letter argued that, among other things, the story was riddled with inaccuracies, that it was vindictive, vexatious and defamatory.
In review it must be stated that there are two somewhat minor inaccuracies in the story. The first is that Jones is owed R100 000 and not R160 000 as he claimed (Jones maintains the extra amount is interest owed), and the second is that R26 000 is not 25% of the R1,1-million that the company Film Lab actually charged Thorntree for its services.
While the M&G’s aim is not to demonise individuals in the film industry, on checking all the facts of it remains that Thorntree
and, inter alia, Dempsey still owe people a lot of money.
Both Stewart and Jones expressed satisfaction at the piece and confirmed that the major points were correct. It should be noted that all the amounts mentioned were a result of direct quotes and were not sucked out of anyone’s thumb.
As the spat continues, Stewart’s lawyer Hamment Nagar of Bhikha Incorporated has said that his client has also been served a letter by Dempsey’s attorney, N Kirby of Werksmans, asking for an apology. Stewart, however, refuses and Nagar says that if Dempsey wishes to sue then they’ll meet him in court.
As for Slabolepszy, he acknowledges that he still hasn’t been paid for the rights to the script after 18 months, but refuses to get involved in acrimony over the issue.
It remains to be noted that a lot of the film’s financing was done through deferment deals, hence the money still owing. However, the knives are still out particularly as far as Stewart and Jones are concerned – an unfortunate occurrence in our already beleaguered film industry that makes so little product in the first place.