The growing trend of film-to-theatre interpretations has seen the successful transposal of several big screen projects to the theatre in recent years.
The most recent of these have been the Danish Dogme film "Festen" (Celebration), which staged in London at the end of 2004, and the British films "Billy Elliot" and "The Full Monty", which are both still running on stages in the UK and USA.
The negotiations for the stage rights for "Forgiveness" written by South African screenplay writer Greg Latter have been concluded with London's Portobello Pictures executive producer Eric Abrahams.
Already buoyed by a string of International Festival and Audience Choice Awards, "Forgiveness'" director and producer were in London this week attending the "Africa at the Pictures" workshop at Channel 4. The workshop forms part of Britain's year long "Africa 05" programme was designed to share the experience of South Africa's independent filmmakers with their British counterparts.
The workshop was attended by South African National Film and Video Foundation chairman Eddie Mbalo together with directors Teboho Mahlatsi (Yizo Yizo), Ian Gabriel (Forgiveness) and Teddy Mattera (Max and Mona). DV8 producers Jeremy Nathan and Joel Phiri, and Bombshelters Desiree Makgraaf, also attended.
"Forgiveness" is on release on DVD in South Africa. It has been officially selected at next week's Jerusalem Film Festival where it will screen in the "Spirit of Freedom" competition.
