R31 million cash heist now on the big screen

"It was very satisfying to hit our targets on opening weekend," commented producer Ross Garland. "We benefited from a concentrated campaign from Nu Metro Films and great social media buzz about the film after the première last week. Audiences really got behind us in KwaZulu-Natal, which is perhaps not surprising with Durban appearing as a key character in the movie."

"31 Million Reasons" is loosely based on the 1997 Durban cash heist which has become part of local lore. R31 million was stolen in the middle of the night from a cash holding facility in Durban. Although 14 men went to jail, a few crooked cops from Chatsworth got away with it. Urban legend is that there was far more money at the deposit facility than was ever made public, and most of the cash has never been found.

Detective wants to clean up his act

Local detective Ronnie, who has illusions of being above the criminal class and desperately wants to clean up his act, is given the opportunity to go legit by a security guard, but only by orchestrating the biggest cash heist in South African history.

"Having grown up in Durban and consequently discovering that producer Ross Garland and co-producer Brad Logan had grown up in Durban around the same time, the vision for "31 Million Reasons" was always a singular one," says director John Barker. "I was less interested in the postcard image of Durban but more in the third world, east meets west - in the southern hemisphere kind of mix. This dynamic culture clash is a great visual backdrop; however the key visual element of the film is the Indian influence. The South African Indian community is fascinating as it has its own set of social rules and traditions. It has a particular sense of humour and its own guidelines for right and wrong. This strong culture within an African culture is a wonderful palette for a filmmaker to draw inspiration."

The film stars Isidingo's Jack Devnarain as Ronnie, who was working as a cop in Durban at the time of the actual heist. His experience as a policeman was invaluable, his knowledge of police protocol and behaviour were constantly called upon to give the actors authentic tools to create for the characters.