Critically Acclaimed Performer Zenobia Kloppers Turns To Directing

Namibian actress and opera singer Zenobia Kloppers has built on a rich family legacy in education and politics to carve her own path outside the country, cementing her place among the bright lights and closing credits of the entertainment world.

Best known for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Fiela in the award-winning 2019 film adaptation of the iconic novel ‘Fiela se Kind’ by the South African writer Dalene Matthee, Kloppers at the age of 47 decided to venture into writing and directing.

Her first short film, ‘Riel’, is described as a celebration of culture through its documentation of the ancient traditional riel dance performed by the San, Nama and Khoi.

Her second film, ‘Helmhart’, is an Afrikaans short film about a Cape Town nurse who was “met die helm gebore” (born with the caul), meaning she has the ability to see ghosts or demons.

‘Riel’ premiered at the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) this year, as well as the Pierre Cardin Short Musical Film Festival in Lacoste, France, where it won the jury and audience awards for best music short film.

Speaking to The Namibian recently, Kloppers said while working on a concept for a feature film script with ‘Fiela se Kind’ director Brett Michael Innes, he asked if she would consider directing.

“I had only ever directed theatre, revues and opera, so I jumped at the chance to explore the art of film directing. The best way to get your feet wet and learn is to do at least one or two short films first. I wanted to share something of my heritage as a woman of Khoikhoi (Nama) descent, among others, and also link up with my love of music. So, together, we wrote ‘Riel’.”

Kloppers described ‘Riel’ as a “celebration of sound, song, dance and dust”.

“It’s about generations of women connecting with each other through ancient knowledge, and it’s a love letter to my people and my land.

“It’s about the passing on of tradition, heritage and culture. Our identity as individuals is rooted in knowing where we come from. The Khoikhoi and San peoples lost so much of their culture and heritage due to colonialism and genocide. But even when driven into the desert, they continued to dance joyously – in the dust.

“Riel is a little slice of life, a joyous celebration despite hardship, pain and loss.”

Kloppers, in a recent press release, said stepping behind the camera was initially a daunting experience, but she felt the backing of the team and the community which gave her a world of confidence.

She also credits Innes, who she learned a great deal from.

“I was very fortunate to have Innes with me as my co-writer on ‘Riel’. He is a multi-award-winning scriptwriter and director, and generously shared his knowledge and skill.”

Kloppers hopes audiences walk away from ‘Riel’ with a sense of joy and pride.

“Pride in who they are and where they come from. As people of colour, generically labelled ‘Coloured’ in the past, we have struggled – and still struggle – with the question of identity. I hope people watching ‘Riel’ will find a piece of themselves dancing in the dust, just as we did.”

HOSPITAL OF GHOSTS

‘Helmhart’ premiered at the KykNet Silwerskerm Festival in Cape Town earlier this week.

In the film about a young nurse with a secret ability to see and talk to ghosts in the hospital where works, Kloppers followed a similar process, this time alongside business partner and academic co-writer Monique Seigels, to write the script for the 2023 Silwerskerm Festival short film programme.

Kloppers said the programme seeks to mentor and give a voice to new film-makers.

“Screenwriting and directing flowed pretty naturally from the creative process of being a performer. I have a passion for writing and literature, and my work as an academic writer entailed analysing prescribed work for literature and film studies,” she recounted.

“The switch to screenwriting, therefore, felt organic. I have done a lot of film analysis, so the technical aspects of film-making weren’t unfamiliar territory. Also, when you spend a lot of time on set as an actor, you learn a great deal about film-making and directing just by observing the crew and other directors.”