Moffie

{{Infobox film

| name = Moffie

| image = Moffie poster.jpg

| caption =

| director = Oliver Hermanus

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Eric Abraham
Jack Sidey

}}

| screenplay = {{Plainlist|

Oliver Hermanus
Jack Sidey

}}

| based_on = {{Based on|Moffie|Andre Carl van der Merwe}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| music = Braam du Toit

| cinematography = Jamie Ramsay

| editing = {{Plainlist|

Alain Dessauvage
George Hanmer

}}

| studio = Portobello Productions

| distributor =

| released = {{Film date|2019|09|04|df=y}} (Venice)

| runtime = 99 minutes

| country = {{Plainlist|

South Africa
United Kingdom

}}

| language = {{Plainlist|

Afrikaans
English{{Cite web | url=https://deadline.com/video/moffie-trailer-venice-film-festival-south-africa-homosexuality-apartheid/ |title = 'Moffie': First Trailer for Venice Buzz Title About Homosexuality in Apartheid South Africa, 'Ida' Producer Among Team |website=Deadline Hollywood|date = 4 September 2019}}

}}

| budget =

| gross = $28,704{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1483178753/weekend/ |title=Moffie (2021) |website=Box Office Mojo |access-date=30 April 2021 |archive-date=2 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202170717/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1483178753/weekend/ |url-status=live}}

}}

Moffie is a 2019 biographical war romantic drama film co-written and directed by Oliver Hermanus. Based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by André Carl van der Merwe, the film depicts mandatory conscription into the notorious South African Defence Force (SADF) during apartheid through the eyes of a young closeted character Nicholas van der Swart (Kai Luke Brümmer) as he attempts to hide his attraction to another gay recruit (Ryan de Villiers) in a hostile environment.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/04/moffie-review-south-africa-soldiers-homophobia-apartheid-oliver-hermanus|title=Moffie review – soldiers on the frontline of homophobia|last=Brooks|first=Xan|date=2019-09-04|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-10-05|issn=0261-3077}} The title derives from a homophobic slur in South Africa used to police masculinity.{{cite book|last=de Waal|first=Shaun|year=1995|chapter=Etymological note: On 'moffie'|editor1-last=Gevisser|editor1-first=Mark|editor2-last=Cameron|editor2-first=Edwin|title=Defiant Desire: Gay and Lesbian Lives in South Africa|publisher=Routledge|page=xiii|isbn=0-415-91060-9}}{{cite news|last=Sulcas|first=Roslyn|date=7 April 2021 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/07/movies/moffie-south-africa.html |title=From a South African Slur to a Scathing Drama About Toxic Masculinity|work=The New York Times|access-date=22 April 2021}}

The film had its world premiere release at the Venice International Film Festival on 4 September 2019.{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/venice-drama-moffie-explores-homophobia-in-south-africa-1203320318/|title=Venice Drama 'Moffie' Explores Homophobia in South Africa|last1=Vourlias|first1=Christopher|date=2019-10-05|work=Variety|accessdate=5 September 2019|publisher=Variety Media}} It also had its special screenings at other film festivals and received a number of accolades in various categories.{{Cite web|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2019-08-25-eye-opening-film-moffie-is-set-to-strut-its-stuff-at-venice-film-festival/|title=Eye-opening film 'Moffie' is set to strut its stuff at Venice Film Festival|website=TimesLIVE|language=en-ZA|access-date=2019-10-05}} Its original 2020 theatrical release was disrupted by the Covid 19 pandemic. Distributed by Curzon Cinemas in the UK and IFC Films in the US, it was made available to stream and released in select cinemas in 2021.{{Cite journal|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/moffie-trailer-ifc-films-bafta-1234711159/|title='Moffie': New Trailer For BAFTA-Nominated Queer Drama Set In Apartheid South Africa; IFC Releases April 9 In U.S.|journal=Deadline|first=Nancy|last=Tartaglione|date=10 April 2021|accessdate=2 August 2021}}

Synopsis

The film begins in 1981, with South Africa's white minority government embroiled in a brutal proxy conflict in Angola and Namibia. A shy teenager, Nicholas van der Swart, like all white South African males over 16, is forced to undergo two years of compulsory military service in the SADF. He keeps his head down whilst the sadistic sergeants brutalise and train the recruits to hate and kill, policing their every move. The threat of shame, abuse, and worse looms over any who fail to conform to an ideal of Afrikaner hypermasculinity. There are details that set Nicholas apart: that, despite his Afrikaans surname from his stepfather, he is English-speaking; and as he finds quiet solidarity in and connection with another recruit Dylan Stassen, that he is gay, the latter of which is a punishable crime and could land him in the ominous Ward 22 if he were found out.{{cite news |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/moffie-venice-review/5142224.article |title='Moffie': Venice Review |last1=Romney |first1=Jonathan |date=2019-10-05 |work=Screen Daily |access-date=5 September 2019}}

Cast

Kai Luke Brümmer as Nicholas van der Swart
Matt Ashwell as young Nicholas
Ryan de Villiers as Dylan Stassen
Matthew Vey as Michael Sachs
Stefan Vermaak as Oscar Fourie
Hilton Pelser as Sergeant Brand
Wynand Ferreira as Niels Snyman
Hendrick Nieuwoudt as Roos
Nicholas van Jaarsveldt as Robert Fields
Jordy Gurr as Albert Williams

Production

The film is based on the 2006 novel of the same name by André Carl van der Merwe, which the author based on his own diary entries from his time in the SADF. It tells the story of Nicholas discovering his sexuality in a dangerous context, and the irony and trauma of being forced to defend a regime that oppresses him and an ideology he does not agree with.

Eric Abraham and Jack Sidey bought the rights and approached Oliver Hermanus with the adaptation. Hermanus, whose family were affected by Apartheid, was initially skeptical of the white focus of the film, but found the memoir eye-opening and saw its potential to challenge. A few drafts later, he got to work on the script himself, widening the scope to examine the hate politics and toxic white masculinity that Apartheid tried to indoctrinate into a generation of men, both agents and property of the state, using Nicholas as a point of view. Sidey and Hermanus were able to take liberties with the source material and narrative structure.{{Cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/interviews/oliver-hermanus-moffie-apartheid-gay-stigma-military-service|title=Oliver Hermanus on Moffie: "Apartheid created a very binary code"|website=BFI|first=Ben|last=Walters|date=16 April 2020|accessdate=8 August 2021}}

File:Windmill panorama 1.jpg

Jaci Cheriman hosted a nationwide casting call over the course of a year, scouting from professional agencies to local schools and drama clubs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfvf.co.za/home/index.php?ipkMenuID=&ipkArticleID=659|title=Oliver Hermanus' new film "Moffie" invited to premiere at Venice International Film Festival|website=NFVF|accessdate=12 August 2021}} The cast underwent bootcamp training with a military adviser.{{Cite web|url=https://seventh-row.com/2021/04/14/oliver-hermanus-moffie/|title='It was always about making you feel unsafe': Oliver Hermanus on Moffie|website=Seventh Row|date=14 April 2021|accessdate=12 August 2021}} The crew worked with actors to develop the characters, incorporating stories from real-life veterans.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/moffie-director-oliver-hermanus-on-the-toxic-masculinity-of-apartheid-4163757/|title='Moffie' Director Oliver Hermanus on the Toxic Masculinity of Apartheid|journal=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Scott|last=Roxborough|date=9 April 2021|accessdate=8 August 2021}}

The film was shot in academy ratio and colour graded to resemble the photography of the time.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/interview-oliver-hermanus-on-moffie-and-the-making-of-men-in-south-africa/|title=Interview: Oliver Hermanus on Moffie and the Making of Men in South Africa|journal=Slant Magazine|first=Marshall|last=Shaffer|date=9 April 2021|accessdate=12 August 2021}} Principal photography took place in early 2019 across the Western Cape. The crew scouted period-appropriate sites. Filming locations included Saron, Hopefield, and Grabouw. The ending scene was filmed on Windmill Beach in Simon's Town. As it took time to procure 80s train cars, the train scenes were filmed last in the Overberg between Caledon and Elgin.{{Cite journal|url=https://thecinemaholic.com/where-was-moffie-filmed/|title=Where Was Moffie Filmed?|journal=The Cinemaholic|first=Pratik|last=Handcore|date=9 April 2021|accessdate=8 August 2021}}

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, {{RT data|score}} of {{RT data|count}} critic reviews are positive, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critic consensus reads: "Moffie uses one South African soldier's story to grapple against a series of thorny questions – with rough yet rewarding results."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/moffie|title=Moffie (2019)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date|df=dmy}}}} On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 69 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.{{Cite web |title=Moffie Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/moffie/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=Metacritic}}

The film was nominated for the Best Film category at the London Film Festival 2019. It received two nominations at the 2019 Venice Film Festival, for the Queer Lion Award and Venice Horizons Award.{{Cite web |url=https://m.channel24.co.za/Movies/News/oliver-hermanus-film-moffie-nominated-for-queer-lion-award-at-venice-international-film-festival-20190807 |title=Oliver Hermanus' film 'Moffie' nominated for Queer Lion Award at Venice International Film Festival |date=2019-08-07 |website=Channel |access-date=2019-10-05}}

The Hollywood Reporter ranked the film to be among the best of 2021 so far as to early July 2021.{{cite news |last1=D.R. |title=The Hollywood Reporter Critics Pick the Best Films of 2021 (So Far) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/best-films-2021-1234972119/ |access-date=4 July 2021 |work=Hollywood Reporter |date=4 July 2021}}

=Accolades=

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Award

!Category

!Nominee

!Result

! {{Ref heading}}

rowspan="7" | 2019

| rowspan="2" | Venice International Film Festival

| Horizons Award

| rowspan="3" | Moffie

| {{nom}}

Queer Lion

| {{nom}}

BFI London Film Festival

| Best Film

| {{nom}}

Thessaloniki Film Festival

| Mermaid Award

| rowspan="2" | Oliver Hermanus

| {{won}}

rowspan="3" | British Independent Film Awards

| Best Director

| {{nom}}

Breakthrough Producer

| Jack Sidey, Eric Abraham

| {{nom}}

Best Cinematography

| Jamie D. Ramsay

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web|url=https://www.bifa.film/film/moffie/|title=Moffie|website=BIFA|date=30 October 2019|accessdate=20 June 2021}}

rowspan="5" | 2020

| Tromsø International Film Festival

| Aurora Prize

| Moffie

| {{nom}}

Dublin International Film Festival

| Jury Prize

| Moffie

| {{won}}

| {{Cite web|url=https://www.diff.ie/awards2020|title=Award Winners at VMDIFF20|website=DIFF Festival Limited}}

Molodist Kyiv Film Festival

| Best LGBTQ Film

| Moffie, Oliver Hermanus

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web|url=https://www.cinema.in.ua/en/film-festival-molodist/|title=150 films: International film festival "Molodist" announced the program|date=8 August 2020|accessdate=20 June 2021}}

FEST New Directors New Films Festival

| Best Film

| Moffie

| {{nom}}

Guadalajara International Film Festival

| Best Feature Film

| Moffie

| {{nom}}

rowspan="2" | 2021

| International Cinephile Society Awards

| Best Adapted Screenplay

| Oliver Hermanus, Jack Sidey

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web|url=https://icsfilm.org/our-yearly-awards/2021-ics-award-winners/|title=Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains Wins Top Prize at 18th ICS Awards|website=ICS Film|date=20 February 2021|accessdate=20 June 2021}}

British Academy Film Awards

| Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer

| Jack Sidey

| {{nom}}

| {{Cite web|url=https://www.bafta.org/film/awards/2021-nominations-winners|title=2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Winners|website=BAFTA|date=9 March 2021|accessdate=20 June 2021}}

Adaptations

Moffie was also imagined as a dance work in 2012 by Standard Bank Young Artist Award recipient Bailey Snyman. Snyman's version premiered at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown in 2012 to critical and acclaimed reception.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/08/how-dont-ask-dont-tell-ended-up-at-a-south-african-arts-festival/260877/|title=How 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Ended Up at a South African Arts Festival|last=Kehe|first=Jason|date=2012-08-09|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-03}}{{Cite journal|last1=Flockemann|first1=Miki|last2=Cornelius|first2=Jerome|last3=Phillips|first3=Jolyn|date=2012-07-01|title=Grahamstown 2012: theatres of belonging, longing and counting the bullets|journal=South African Theatre Journal|volume=26|issue=2|pages=218–226|doi=10.1080/10137548.2012.838335|s2cid=147004600|issn=1013-7548}} The dance version was also performed at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg in August 2012 and at the State Theatre in Pretoria in December 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iol.co.za/entertainment/whats-on/joburg/dance-umbrella-on-the-move-1366909|title=Dance Umbrella on the move|website=www.iol.co.za|language=en|access-date=2020-03-03}} The work was revived for performances at the Artscape Theatre in Cape Town in January 2015.{{Cite web|url=http://48hours.co.za/2015/01/29/dance-play-revisits-sas-dark-recent-past-at-artscape-theatre/|title=Dance play revisits SA's dark recent past at Artscape Theatre|date=2015-01-29|website=The Next 48hOURS|access-date=2020-03-03}}

In June 2024, a stage monologue of Moffie, adapted by Philip Rademeyer and presented by the Fugard Theatre Archive, premiered at Riverside Studios in West London, with Kai Luke Brümmer reprising the lead role.{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Eddie-Izzard-Cecilia-YiP-qnd-Kai-Luke-Brmmer-To-Headline-The-Hammersmith-Stage-20240503|title=Eddie Izzard, Cecilia Yip qnd Kai Luke Brümmer To Headline The Hammersmith Stage|website=BroadwayWorld|first=Cecilia|last=Yip|date=3 May 2024|accessdate=10 May 2024}}{{Cite web|url=https://theatreweekly.com/moffie-to-open-at-riverside-studios/|title=Moffie to Open at Riverside Studios|website=Theatre Weekly|date=15 April 2024|accessdate=10 May 2024}}