Fokofpolisiekar documentary on national release

The documentary is directed by Bryan Little and produced by Filipa Domingues of Cape Town-based filmmaking collective, Fly on the Wall.

In 2003 an Afrikaans punk band was a laughable idea. Many thought the name crazy; and then the music came and many were enraged - publicly protesting die bende (the gang) who had the strength of their own voice and the desire to question. In a place where passion and brandy meet, many thousands became fans of band members Hunter Kennedy, Francois van Coke, Johnny de Ridder, Wynand Myburgh and Jaco Venter for life.

The film follows the story of the band over four years as they forge a place for themselves and their fans in a new South Africa; in the process challenging the stigmas and expectations placed on them by their Afrikaner heritage, the church and tradition.

Through the controversy and chaos, Fokofpolisiekar rose above its detractors and initiated a change in how the media perceived and portrayed them. Through the death threats and Christian backlash they stood tall - for the right to identity, freedom of thought, and the raw and often unseemly right to express one's own truth. They unleashed a debate in the nation's Afrikaner community that sought finally to heal the wound or at the very least to acknowledge it.

For more information, go to www.fokofpolisiekarmovie.com.