LABIA THEATRE CELEBRATION

‘The Satyr’ returns to The Labia Cinema
Starts Friday September 25th
Start Time:
Friday, September 25, 2009 at 8:00pm
End Time:
Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 10:00pm
Location:
The Labia Cine 1
Street:
Orange Street
City/Town:
Cape Town, South Africa
Phone:
0214245927

Description
“It is brave, slightly deranged and quite wonderful.” - Zane Henry, The Argus

“This is pure trash cinema if ever I’ve seen it. And it’s great.” - Rob MacKay, The Times

Last week moviegoers sat on the steps of the aisles at NuMetro V&A Waterfront, in order to fit into the Out in Africa film festival’s screenings of The Satyr of Springbok Heights, the Cape Town mockumentary by architect Robert Silke. Although people were turned away at the box office, there will be another opportunity to see the film when it begins its full theatrical release at the Labia Theatre on Orange Street, starting Friday September 25th.

“The production values of the film are superb, with meticulous attention to detail.” - Wilhelm Snyman, The Cape Times

South African comedy doyen Pieter Dirk Uys (a.k.a. Evita Bezuidenhout) told the 400-strong crowd at the Out in Africa opening function: “I’ve seen some really great films - you mentioned the one about Springbok Heights. I love that film. It’s a quirky, marvelous film and it also shows what you can do with a little bit of courage.”

According to director Silke, the film is a fantasy documentary about one of Cape Town’s most iconic apartment blocks (played by Holyrood in Queen Victoria St) and certain of the eccentric bachelors and spinsters who have lived there over the years. “I love the building,” said Uys, who is believed to have once lived there himself, “lots of seed has been spilt on those floors!”

The film stars Fleur du Cap Award-winner Godfrey Johnson, drag artist Victoria Caballaire and well-known Cape Town intellectuals, Lin Sampson of the Sunday Times, theatre doyen John Caviggia and architecture professor Fabio Todeschini. Sampson has even suggested in her weekly column, En Passant, that Silke had duped her into saying some of the outlandish statements that were caught on film.

“I had to witness myself twittering on about loving young Afrikaans boys… It was, I think, the most embarrassing night of my life.” - Lin Sampson, The Sunday Times

Having received widespread critical acclaim in The Argus, Cape Times, Sunday Times and Mail&Guardian, the film has now been acquired for exhibition by the Labia Theatre, one of South Africa’s only independent cinemas. Labia proprietor Ludi Krause said “It’s really great to see an independent Cape Town film doing so well, both in terms of audience reaction and critical response. It’s a unique film and Holyrood is just around the block from The Labia, so we’re really excited to be screening it.”

The film screened to full houses at the USA’s Rhode Island International Film Festival in August and screens at the HD-FEST high definition film festival at Sony Wonder Technology Labs on New York’s Madison Avenue on October 20th.

“Hilarious.” - Daniel Dercksen, The Argus

The Satyr of Springbok Heights starts Friday September 25th at The Labia on Orange Street. Bookings can be made through the Labia box office on (021) 424 5927.