As I write this, I'm feeling the remnants of the wonderful evening I've just had. It's one of those experiences to cherish forever. The premiere of Invictus, that took place at Emperors Palace tonight, was all that you can imagine and more. I actually watched the movie at a press screening yesterday and was instantly sold because of its moving nature. But after participating in a roundtable interview session with both lead man Morgan Freeman (portraying our former president Madiba in Invictus) and one of the producers Lori McCreary, ignited more excitement and interest to attend the premiere.
When I arrived at the venue with my friend Stevel Marc, you could already feel the air of exhilaration lingering around. When we walked the yellow carpet, the fans expecting to see the movie stars were gleefully cheering on some of the celebrities that were also in attendance. This was surely a sign of things to come.
The pre-cocktail part of the event was filled with great people in the entertainment industry, politicians, business people, and an assortment of individuals in other spheres of our economy; all donned in their best black-tie threads. I spotted familiar faces, including Romy Titus and Timothy Maurice (are they a couple?); a fellow movie reviewer and somewhat of a role model to me, Peter Feldman with his wife; current Springboks player Brian Habana and new wife; and rugby player Joost Van De Westuizen and wife Amor Vittone, who I saw proudly walking the yellow carpet beyond the scandal involving Joost that broke early this year. I even got a brief chance to chat with mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela when I asked to take a picture of her and her guests; I must say that was one of the highlights of the night for me.
The fun continued, with PJ Powers entertaining the guests with her energetic performance. Before long, guests were requested to take their places in different cinemas in the complex that was fully booked just for this glorious occasion. Little did I know that my friend Stevel had hooked up with Ray Ray (the guy who is the face of the MTN Ayoba ad campaign - they work together on MTN rigs that happen when MTN does their activations) and upgraded our access to VIP, resulting in us watching the movie with big guns, including mama Winnie, Brian Habana, SABC's Leo Manne and other important people. At the cinema, I spotted many more familiar faces, like Santi Botha (former Marketing Director for MTN - not sure what portfolio she holds there now). Me , Stevel and Ray Ray were seated just behind Elana Afrika and her boyfriend, who she introduced to us and with whom we had some engaging conversations.
The moment for the invited guests to see the movie had arrived. Just minutes before that, in walked Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary to the theatre to give their speeches. In the process, they introduced a recorded video of co-star Matt Damon (who plays former Springboks captain Francois Pienaar in the film) and director Clint Eastwood apologising for not being here for this amazing experience (they mentioned they were already shooting another film together).
Before the film, real footage featuring the milestone events portrayed in the film was shown. It was interesting to observe how the crowd reacted to the film, especially since I had seen the movie and particularly anticipated the reactions from specific, different scenes. After the movie we hung out just outside the cinema where desserts and coffee were served. This is where things got even more exciting and interesting as people shared their views about the film. Stevel introduced me to actor Daniel Hadebe (he appears in the movie as part of Madiba's security detail) who had a lot to say about the movie. He actually critisized the film, saying he loves Clint Eastwood, but he felt there was something missing in Invictus for him. Could it be that he was too close to it, since he was on the set for the shooting of the film? Well, I guess everybody has and is free to express their views. Generally, the views on the movie were favourable, Sthandiwe Kgoroge (husband Tony Kgoroge played a huge role leaing the security detail to Madiba) loved it. I was also introduced and chatted with model and businessman Amos Vuma who shared the same sentiments of favour and positivity.
I feel Clint Eastwood was able to capture so well and concisely the spirit of the country at the time of the Rugby World Cup. Undoubtedly, Morgan Freeman was brilliant as Tata Madiba. Although you could pick up he was American, he was still able to play the character with such flair and precision. Matt Damon was the same, actually giving us the best South African (Afrikaans this time) accent any American actor has ever done (well, maybe on th same par with John Malkovich on Disgrace). Tony Kgoroge was just as amazing, showing his rare and unique talent that captures you.
It was a beautiful occasion, well-planned and groundbreaking. It's one of the experiences I will cherish for the rest of my life. Many thanks to the Nu Metro team for putting this together and the sponsors MTN for making this possible. Invictus opens countrywide this coming Friday, 11 December 2009. Go out there and check it out, if not to relive that moment, to educate yourself about our history and how our hero Madiba worked tirelessly to unite our nation.
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