Egg Films’ Lebogang Rasethaba directs for Emmy-nominated docu-series Home on Apple TV+

Egg Films’ Lebogang Rasethaba directs for Emmy-nominated docu-series Home on Apple TV+

Established as a director known for crafting intimate thought-provoking and always culturally relevant work, Lebogang Rasethaba has recently directed two inspiring pieces of storytelling for Apple TV+. The design docu-series Home, features some of the most remarkable houses across the world and the visionaries behind the designs. We spoke to Director and Partner at Egg Films and Co-Founder of Arcade, Lebogang, about the experience of directing two of the season’s episodes; one set in South Africa and the other in Ghana.

Each episode in the series Home is set in a new destination, including the Netherlands, South Africa, Indonesia, Ghana, Australia, Mexico, Iceland, and more. The episodes feature the most innovative living spaces that serve as the perfect backdrop to introduce us to the human stories, imaginations and intentions behind homes. Home season two is currently streaming on Apple TV+ and you can watch the trailer right here right now and then for just R84.99 per month, which is two almond milk cappuccinos and tip, you can watch it all. There is also that 7 day free trial #JustSaying

On why Lebogang was so suited for this project, Egg Films’ Producer Julia Schnurr comments: ‘Lebo has been making adverts and documentaries for a while, more than anyone in the game, so he understands the aesthetic demands of commercials and the human factor of commercials and in this project, he got to exercise both disciplines. He also has a knack for getting people to trust him and open up to him from the beginning.’

On set for ‘Home’ outside of Jamestown Cafe in Accra, L to R: Camera Assistant Carlmax Gbormittah, DOP Christopher Gill and Director Lebogang Rasethaba.

 

 

 

Q: You directed the episode of Home set in South Africa titled ‘House of the Big Arch’ and another set in Ghana titled ‘Inno-Native House’, how would you describe the two episodes?

Lebogang: I wouldn’t describe them, I would rather encourage people to watch them. But if I had to, I would say the South African ep features an incredible house built in an environment populated with a trillion trees and they didn’t break a single branch in the construction of the house. This is the exact opposite of how we normally build houses. In the episode from Ghana, we meet a maverick architect who is canvassing for the use of local building materials instead of cement, which is part of a colonial hangover. Local materials are more appropriate for the weather, and it’s actually something that’s been there for millennia, it’s about celebrating Africa for its inherent genius.

Q: How did this project come about?

Lebogang: It was one of the silver linings of the pandemic, I guess. Normally on a production like this Apple and A24 would have used their team who worked on season 1 but because of travel restrictions they looked for local suppliers and they found us via the almighty internet. We pitched on the job and here we are.

Q: Was there anything that specially drew you to the project?

Lebogang: The South African episode was especially moving to me because we seldom get to hear stories like this, beautiful human stories that aren’t political, especially in the documentary format.

Q: What was one of the most memorable moments of the shoot for you?

Lebogang: The people in the films invited me into their homes and shared their most private moments with me. I made long life bonds with them, I made friends.

On set for ‘Home’ on a teak farm in Akosombo, L to R: Director Lebogang Rasethaba and Producer Julia Schnurr.

Q: As a talented commercial director, what is the difference between directing for a series like this versus a big brand ad?

Lebogang: Well, it’s different in that you aren’t selling a product, but rather a view, a perspective, a philosophy. And for that to happen you need to make the characters feel so much more comfortable because they are sharing so much more intimately of themselves, which means you need to give a lot more of yourself as a director. Fostering a real honest connection between myself and the people sharing of themselves was integral to extracting their beautiful stories.

On a practical level, on something like Home you are working with much smaller crews compared to commercials, so everyone has to be a lot more hands on. Individual crew roles kind of disappear and you just have everyone doing everything, you have to be constantly communicating, it’s highly collaborative.

Q: What were some practical challenges you ran into for this shoot?

Lebogang: In the South Africa episode, one night while packing gear, the crew literally ran into a few cobras and couldn’t get in and out of their rooms. I guess this is another reason why you build homes high up in the trees.

Egg’s Producer Julia Schnurr added about the production: ‘Seeing our local crew and the international teams work so well together and at the same level of standard made me feel proud about our industry in South Africa.’

Wanna (s)talk some more? Egg Films on IDIDTHAT and Company Website.

Slow Food Terra Madre – Salon del Gusto – Turin Italy 2022

Slow Food Terra Madre – Salon del Gusto – Turin Italy 2022

This 14th edition of Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, the global gathering of the Slow Food network and the world’s largest event dedicated to sustainable food and food politics, showcased how food can be a bridge to peace, demonstrating how through inclusion and dialogue we can cultivate a better future together. Over 3,000 representatives of the Slow Food network from 130 countries came together to share their experiences and come up with solutions to take back home, further strengthening the meaning of belonging that defines the Slow Food network. They also inspired over 350,000 visits to the event over the course of five days and offered practical suggestions to encourage everyone to make an impact on the food system through their own action. 

Team SA advocated on the three pillars biodiversity – education – Advocacy in forming a collective approach with Africa as a whole which opened up major opportunities for all attendees in a continental shift of support and vision to make all fall in love with Africa again. The team came from many different NGO, Slow Food Communities and Rural Areas from South Africa whom where invited by slow food to attend based on their acknowledgment and recognition for the work they are doing in our country in preservation and development of IKS, Cultural and establishing food sovereignty through regeneration of indigenous food resilient food systems.

Harvesting Heritage, can be found on  www.harvestingheritage.org.za, whom has been instrumental as implementing agent for majority of SF projects in the various pillars will be further involved in the implementing a collection of Heritage Markets and Long Table Dinner Experiences – Harvesting our Heritage including the launch of the Wines of Origin Collaboration Series, can be found on www.thewinesoforigin.com, which received immense interest by the international markets.

To have a continued support from Brand SA in our projects and upcoming events would be incredible and instrumental to ensure we can make the impact these projects will enable in terms of trade opportunities, inbound travel and investment and socio economic development post Covid including continual collaboration with African and international countries. Our very own Thembe Chauke received an honourable award for his work in the 10 000 Gardens project in Africa (South Africa) which was the Byoungsoo Kim Memorial Award which is a prestigious award and recognition by Slow Food. We are so proud of him.

I cannot thank you enough for your sponsorship – these uniforms gave the team pride and created interest by our international colleagues, countries and tour agencies as South Africa was destination of interest. I have asked the team to please send all pictures and we’ll send through all the press releases for you to share on your platforms.  Thank you so much once again – without your support we could never have made the statement we made and South Africa’s Voice was loud and clear.

Caleb’s Story

Caleb’s Story

Since 1978, the Young Artist Academy™ has produced Hollywood’s 1st and longest-running youth awards, held in Los Angeles, CA, with previous nominees and winners including Scarlett Johansson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and many others.

Caleb is the first South African nomination for acting ever with the only South African presence at the awards in the last 43 years being Trevor Noah who received an honouree award for Journalistic Excellence in 2020 and ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ which was awarded a merit award in 1984 for Best Foreign Film.

July Unrests 2021 – SASRIA

July Unrests 2021 – SASRIA

Article  by Zuan Artico – Dlamini Quality Foods T/A Soweto Old Potch Supermarket) 

” Hi Cedric, Richard, Themba, Chris & Yolette, 

I would like to thank SASRIA and Mendle Consulting in the help during the July riots. We have been settled for 99% of our claims.

As hard as it was for us to see 20 years work and livelihood disappear in front of our eyes, I also appreciate that the cost and damage was more than the George Floyd riots and you were all also under immense pressure.

For that Supa Store and all of its 300 odd staff will be eternally grateful we could rebuild with the money that was paid out, even if it was with a lot of fighting in-between. 

I write this with a heavy heart as my partner Gerald had a massive stroke 3 days before our opening day. He didn’t get to see all our hard work in rebuilding come to fruition. The stress of trying to rebuild was too much for him. He is still in rehab now and I just hope he can recover enough to come back to work one day.

I have attached pics of after looting and also pics of us up and running again so you can see the results of your hard work and effort. “

From
Zuan Artico
Dlamini Quality Foods T/A Soweto Old Potch Supermarket

Basketball South Africa to host Road to the BAL Elite 16 Qualifying Tournament (Division East)

Basketball South Africa to host Road to the BAL Elite 16 Qualifying Tournament (Division East)

Media release – 07 December 2021

Basketball South Africa to host Road to the BAL Elite 16 Qualifying Tournament (Division East)

Basketball South Africa (BasketballSA) in association with Brand South Africa, will host the Road to the Basketball Africa League (BAL) Elite 16 Qualifying Tournament (Division East) at Wembley Basketball Stadium in Turfontein, Johannesburg from 7-11 December 2021. Due to the increasing COVID-19 positive cases and associated variants, the event will be held without spectators, with all the games livestreamed on the FIBA YouTube Channel – The Basketball Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtInrnU3QbWqFGsdKT1GZtg

The schedule for the Road to the BAL Elite 16 Tournament is as follows:

Date 

Time

Game

2021/12/07

15h30

Ferroviario da Beira (Mozambique)

vs.

Cobra Sport (South Sudan)

 

19h00

New Star (Burundi)

vs.

Cape Town Tigers (South Africa)

2021/12/08

15h30

Cobra Sport (South Sudan)

vs.

Ulinzi Warriors (Kenya)

 

19h00

Matero Magic (Zambia)

vs.

New Star (Burundi)

2021/12/09

15h30

Ferroviario da Beira (Mozambique)

vs.

Ulinzi Warriors (Kenya)

 

19h00

Cape Town Tigers (South Africa)

vs.

Matero Magic (Zambia)

SEMI-FINALS

2021/12/10

15h30

1. H1

vs.

2. H2

 

19h00

1. H2

vs.

2. H1

FINALS

2021/12/11

15h30

Loser 7

vs.

Loser 8

 

19h00

Winner 7

vs.

Winner 8

The Cape Town Tigers, representing South Africa, remained unbeaten in the first round of the qualifiers held in UJ Soweto Campus in October 2021. The Tigers will have a chance to clinch one of the three spots of the East Division to participate in the prestigious Basketball Africa League (BAL) next year.

The president of BasketballSA, Mr Sanele Mthiyane, believes that South Africa has the talent to compete with the best on the continent and hosting this tournament at home should give SA the home court advantage to advance to the main tournament. Just by getting to this stage, the Cape Town Tigers have already inspired players in SA to want to play on the biggest stage in Africa. “Basketball needed the catalyst to grow the sport and BAL and the Tigers provided exactly that” says Mr Mthiyane. He says, now the focus is to grow formalized clubs, create competitions and promote good governance at all levels of the structures led by the national federation itself.

Jimmy Ranamane, Acting Head of Global Markets at Brand South Africa says that there is an alignment between Basketball SA and Brand South Africa’s core mandate. “Our objective is to market South Africa to both domestic and international audiences, positioning South Africa as a competitive investment destination, and inspiring and instilling active citizenship amongst South Africans. Sports provides us with an opportunity to drive social cohesion, appreciating that as African, we have the responsibility to develop the continent in a holistic manner. We are looking forward to strengthening South Africa’s proposition as a host of key international events,” he said.

When asked about their preparedness for the Cape Town Tigers for this upcoming tournament, Tigers’ co-owner Mr Raphael Edwards said “I believe the team is fully prepared for the BAL Elite 16 tournament. We are playing at a high level, our energies are synced and aligned, but most importantly, the chemistry amongst the players is amazing. Everyone is very excited and determined to go into this tournament to dominate and make South Africa proud”. The Cape Town Tigers have never lost a game since the formation of the club.

The BAL, a pan-African league and partnership between the NBA and FIBA, builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA has organized in Africa and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside of North America. The league’s inaugural season, featuring 12 of the top club teams from 12 African countries, was held at the Kigali Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, from 16-30 May, 2021. On 30 May, Egypt’s Zamalek defeated Tunisia’s US Monastir 76-63 to win the inaugural BAL Championship. The Inaugural season was broadcast in 215 countries and territories in 15 languages.

For more information, please contact Cabby Magongwa at [email protected]

Issued by Basketball South Africa

-End of article-

Globally recognized & collected artist Nelson Makamo debuts his first solo US exhibition ‘BLUE,’ in Los Angeles

Globally recognized & collected artist Nelson Makamo debuts his first solo US exhibition ‘BLUE,’ in Los Angeles

DeLeón Tequila joins Nelson Makamo for the opening weekend of his exhibition with art-inspired cocktails

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Today, globally recognized and collected artist Nelson Makamo opens the doors to his first solo US exhibition titled ‘BLUE.’ The exhibition brings 44 of Makamo’s works stateside, making this impressive new body of work the largest collection he has ever showcased. The artwork explores the emotive range of the color – blue summons an age of recognition, transition, and development; it is overflowing with opportunities because it is undoubtedly of a feminine resolve.

DeLeón He(art) is one of the innovative art-inspired cocktails designed after “Blue’s” color palette and Makamo’s favorite flavors.

DeLeón Tequila is showing up in an unpredictable fashion to support Makamo during the opening weekend of his exhibition, which commenced on October 6 with a private dinner of curated VIP guests who received a first look at the collection. The spirited evening included a performance, coursed dinner, and DeLeón Tequila art-inspired cocktails that embodied the creative inspiration behind BLUE through the show’s color palette and Makamo’s favorite flavors.

“DeLeón Tequila recognizes and supports the artistry and craftsmanship of cultural architects like Nelson,” says Ingrid Best, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Marketing, Spirits, Combs Enterprises. “When I heard about his US exhibition, I knew we had to support this history-making moment in a real way. DeLeón is honored to join Nelson as he continues to capture the world with his talent. And we look forward to celebrating other artists, like Nelson, who break boundaries with their art.”

DeLeón Tequila will serve art-inspired cocktails during the opening weekend of Nelson’s exhibition [October 7 – 10]:

DeLeón Blanco Paloma Azul
DeLeón Reposado Gotta Have He(art)
DeLeón Añejo Pop Art
‘BLUE’ will be in residency through November 20 at 1242 Palmetto Street in Los Angeles, California. Please email [email protected] to make an appointment.

Link to event and cocktail images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/n3uex5kxqwpsxrg/AABqyNe5cfCZvTyAg8kTJHHpa?dl=0

NELSON MAKAMO| b. 1982 Modimolle, Limpopo
Johannesburg based Artist Nelson Makamo is best known for his charcoal and oil paintings that redresses decades of images that have portrayed African children in destitute. Makamo’s career spans sixteen years. Based in Johannesburg, he has managed to solidify an iconic signature and a subject matter that has steadily placed him on a global stage, making him one of the worlds young and most sought-after visual artists of our times. Makamo has exhibited in South Africa, USA, France, Italy, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, and Finland. His work is featured in prestigious public and private collections. Nelson Makamo’s artwork speaks to changing the global mindset of what it means to be an African child. His portraits have strong emotions that every young African possess, from conviction, to prowess and determination, you cannot help but resonate with every piece. Makamo’s famous portraiture can capture these strong emotions which draw you inward. His mix media style, and a unique mark-making technique that breaks the scholarly rules is a very distinct signature.

DELEÓN TEQUILA
DeLeón® Tequila is made from our finest 100% Blue Weber agave and sourced from the rich earth of the Los Altos region of Jalisco, the agave is hand-selected for ripeness before harvesting and yields sweet piñas to achieve the unrivaled smoothness of DeLeón Tequila.

DeLeón Tequila was initially created in the Guanajuato region, home to the town of Leon and the town of Purisima del Rincon. The DeLeón Tequila brand launched in 2009 to an elite following in Hollywood and the U.S. music industry. Purchased in 2014 by a joint venture between business mogul and international icon Sea n”Diddy” Combs and Diageo North America, Inc., part of DIAGEO – the world’s largest spirits and beer company, DeLeón Tequila defies conventions to establish a new standard of luxury in tequila. Perfected through a blend of traditional and innovative tequila-making processes DELEÓN® Tequila curates exquisite smoothness and abundant character.

For more, information visit: www.deleontequila.com and https://www.instagram.com/deleontequila/?hl=en

COMBS SPIRITS
Combs Spirits (CS) is a privately owned, premium spirits company created by Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2013. The company co-owns DeLeón Tequila and is responsible for all strategic marketing for CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka, both in partnership with Diageo. CS is focused on delivering high impact growth driven product development strategies that promote a healthy business structure while highlighting social responsibility – and has become known for its bold business moves, energetic marketing and history-making success.

SOURCE DeLeón Tequila