Archive for category: News

The South African–Dutch co-production Variations on a Theme (Variasies op 'n Tema),
directed by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar and produced by Annemarie du Plessis,
in co-production with Dutch producer Interakt, produced by Mira Mendel & Nikki
Thie was awarded the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2026,
where the film celebrated its world premiere in the prestigious Tiger Competition. The film is a
successor to the filmmakers' earlier feature film, Carissa, which competed in the Orizzonti section
of the Venice Film Festival.

Variations on a Theme is a quiet, meditative portrait of Ouma Hettie, an elderly woman.
goat herder who lives alone in the remote mountains of Namaqualand. Plagued by the
memory of her father, a World War II veteran who returned home with
barely more than a bicycle as payment, she bears the weight of broken promises that over
echo through generations. The film explores themes such as memory, dignity, and survival
and the persistent effects of historical injustice within a marginalized
South African community.

Built around a recurring visual form, inspired by musical variations, transforms
The film from repetition to revelation. Through picturesque shots and a compelling
composition by Mikhaila Alyssa Smith, he follows the rhythms of waiting, endurance and
loss in a life shaped by both isolation and community.

The film is rooted in the Kamiesberg region of the Northern Cape and was produced with support.
from the National Film & Video Foundation of South Africa (NFVF), the Department of Sport, Arts &
Culture, the Doha Film Institute, the Hubert Bals Fund, L'Institut Français and the Center National
of Cinema and Image.

Variations on a Theme lasts 65 minutes and is performed in Afrikaans.

WITH THE SUPPORT OF

THE HUBERT BALS FOUNDATION, THE NETHERLANDS

DOHA FILM INSTITUTE, QATAR
L'INSTITUT FRANÇAIS, FRANCE

LE CENTER NATIONAL DU CINÉMA ET DE L'IMAGE, TUNISIA

Directed by

JASON JACOBS and DEVON DELMAR

starring
HETTIE FARMER
Written by

JASON JACOBS and DEVON DELMAR

VARIATIONS ON A THEME – Production Notes

Produced by
ANNEMARIE DU PLESSIS
JASON JACOBS
DEVON DELMAR
co-produced by
MIRA MENDEL
NIKKI THIE
RENE MENDEL
Director of photography
GRAY KOTZÉ

Editor
DEVON DELMAR

Original score by
MIKHAILA ALYSSA SMITH

The book interweaves personal stories of Dutch Indians with the broader history. Now available for €24,95

See van Sellingen lives with her parents, brothers and sister in the countryside, in a farm full of animals. Sien is a sweet, tough and stubborn girl who experiences all kinds of adventures. She feels big enough to drive a tractor and likes to take care of the chicks.

This summer, seasons one and two will be repeated on NPO3. The overview below shows when which episode will be broadcast:

• Ex. 1 – The Dress – June 11, 2023, 07:45 AM
• Ex. 2 – The Calf – June 18, 2023, 07:45 AM
• Ex. 3 – Stinkboer – June 25, 2023, 07:45 AM
• Ex. 4 – The Haircut – July 2, 2023, 07:45
• Ex. 5 – Witte wieven – 9 July 2023, 07:45
• Ex. 1 – Eggs and Chicks – July 16, 2023, 07:45 AM
• Ex. 2 - Alone on the street - July 23, 2023, 07:45
• Ex. 3 – Reading and Muffins – Jul 30, 2023, 07:45 AM
• Ex. 4 – Thunder and Lightning – August 6, 2023, 07:45 AM
• Ex. 5 – Simon Must Fish – August 13, 2023, 07:45 AM

In The War Suitcase students of the Gerrit van de Veen College dive into the history of the German occupation, when the street was marked by the SD intelligence headquarters and the deportation of thousands of Jews. They discover their own family past and are touched by the stories of Salo Muller. This impressive story can be seen for free from June 18 on HF Digital during the The Disintegration Loops program of it Holland Festival.