Mark Dornford-May, the director of Son of Man, talks about making the film.
What was the thinking behind doing the Jesus story as a follow-up to U-Carmen?
Basically the story has always fascinated me. I did stage productions of The Mysteries, the 12th-century Bible plays, in Portugal, France and here in South Africa. So the narrative has been with me for a long time. Spier Films wanted to take advantage of a tax break by making another film, so I persuaded them to do the Jesus story.
What, do you think, is the relevance of the story to Africa today?
The story is relevant to the whole world today, not just Africa. Christ was born into an invaded society, so it could be set in Iraq just as easily as Africa. He preached peace and equality for all, and usually we humans try to destroy those supermen be they Steve Biko, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King or Jesus Christ.
How did you develop the story so that it made sense in Africa today?
I worked closely with Pauline Malefane, who plays Mary, and other actors, to ensure the places where the story touched Africa were accurate — but it could as easily have been set in Los Angeles’s marginalised communities. I live and work in Africa, it is what makes me tick, so it was a given I would set it here, but when I did it on stage in Portugal it was a story seen through a Portuguese prism. Universal stories are just that –universal — although their cultural disguises may change. I took a Middle Eastern myth and explained it through what I see around me every day. I know no other way to work. If as a director you ignore what is happening on the street, you should find another life because you are simply not doing your job.
What problems did you encounter making the film?
The usual problems of trying to get people to understand your vision and fight off the old guard, like the crew member who said, ”It’s just all so ugly!” The ”whiteness” of South Africa’s film world is a constant surprise to me. Most jobs on a film set (including directing) take nothing more than average common sense, and yet they are veiled in a jargon-based mystique. I insisted we employ a crew that at least reflected the population’s ethnic make-up. This was considered ”radical” and aroused undying suspicion in some people. But the great and uplifting thing about film is the teamwork. Without the experience of the crew and the talent of the actors, there would be nothing but bits of used tape.