​An audacious Joburg filmed motion-picture about the struggles local actors went through during the stringent Covid-19 lockdown has received a nod to premiere at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).

Directed and produced by Charlie Vundla, an acclaimed auteur, Hotele Lerallaneng features spellbinding scenes from a beautiful hotel perched atop the Melville Koppies, north-western Johannesburg.

Set in the unprecedented season of lockdowns and laziness, Hotele Lerallaneng pieces together the most authentic expressions and experiences of the deepest feelings and uncertainties associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is an introspective drama that goes in search of honest characterisation and riveting storylines. Vundla’s latest offering skilfully draws the viewer into the lives of a group of young artists and their struggles with personal demons and questions of creativity and family life in the new normal, while waiting out the Covid-19 lockdown in a hotel.

With a keen eye for detail, the director draws from the strengths of a diverse and talented cast to convey a harrowing message of loneliness, drug use and other fragilities of life during the global pandemic.

This riveting message is portrayed by Moopi Mothibeli, Zethu Dlomo-Mphahlele, Zoe Mthiyane, Celeste Khumalo, Cameron Scott and Buntu Petse and is relatable to viewers.

“This is an amazing validation of my film and our talented cast and crew,” says Vundla of his invitation to the world premiere.

The South African filmmaker contends that Hotele Lerallaneng is more than a film.

“It is a testament to the human spirit and a reflection on this time of stagnation. We were able to turn the lens inwards, try something different and authentically portray the lives of Black South African artists in a way that is not usually seen on screen,” he explains.

Hotele Lerallaneng is the only South African film featured in this year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), which runs from Wednesday, 2 to Sunday, 6 June in the Netherlands. The annual festival, which began in 1972, is dedicated to promoting independent and experimental filmmakers by showcasing emerging talent and established auteurs. It features a diverse selection of fiction and documentary feature films, short films and media art.

The festival’s official selection comprises over 570 feature, mid-length, and short films from almost 90 countries, as well as a high-quality line-up of exhibitions, performances, master classes, and talks, with over 340 000 admissions and around 2 700 film professionals attending – 346 of them are filmmakers.

Hotele Lerallaneng is the third film that Vundla has written and directed. His first, How to Steal 2 Million (2011) starred Rapulana Seiphemo, Terry Pheto and the late Menzi Ngubane and won four Africa Movie Academy Awards, including Best Film and Best Director. Vundla’s second film, Cuckold (AKA The Tribe), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015 and scooped the Best Actor Award at the Africa International Film Festival.

Joburgers have been encouraged to watch and support locally produced films, which represent the strength and impact of independent filmmaking.