DIRECTOR Florian Schott and actress Camilla Jo-Ann Daries’ last collaboration landed a spot on Netflix and their next project is a sweeping Canadian psychological horror anthology.
Reuniting two years after their acclaimed work on ‘Baxu and the Giants’ (2019) to direct and star in the upcoming ‘Valara’ (2022), the duo join an ambitious Electric Panda Entertainment film set in multiple cities around the world.
“Valara is an anthology feature film, meaning a feature built out of multiple short films,” says Schott, who co-wrote the Namibian segment alongside ‘Katutura’ (2015) collaborator and ‘Valara’ producer Obed Emvula.
“The films all follow a worldwide event, and we see this event unfolding over the course of a year. Electric Panda gave us the rules of the world and the other scripts but, apart from that, we had a lot of freedom in what story we wanted to tell.”
While the stories are separate, they are connected through various elements and the film’s main event.
Electric Panda has teased ‘Valara’ as ’12 Segments. 12 Writers. 12 Directors. 1 Movie. Filming All Around the World!’
“We are proud to be the film-makers selected to do the one film set in Africa,” says Schott.
“We can’t tell you too much about the plot yet, but it is a psychological horror film. A young girl wakes up in a seemingly perfect place without knowing who she is or how she got there. When discovering that this place is anything but perfect, she finds an ally and tries to escape, only to learn much more disturbing truths about what is really happening.”
‘Valara’ stars six-year-old newcomer Tia Garises, ‘The White Line’s’ (2019) Sunet van Wyk and 12-year-old Daries in her second film.
“I’m in awe of Camilla. She surprised me in so many ways on this film and has grown so much in the two years since we did ‘Baxu’”, says Schott.
“I have no idea how a 12-year-old can channel all of this emotion, confusion and pain but she does it. And she has a great time doing it, with us cracking jokes in-between and her still being fully in character once the camera is rolling,” he says.
“I am certain that Camilla has a huge career ahead of her.”
Daries who has spent the last two years improving her acting, feels the same way about Schott.
“It’s amazing to be working with Florian again. Florian was a good director before and I’m comfortable around him. So I guess next time I’m gonna go shoot, I want him to be there,” says Daries with a laugh.
Asked what the most exciting part about the film is, Daries answers mischievously.
“The exciting part is that I’m gonna be acting in it!”
Certainly confident and thrilled to be back in business, Daries can’t share much about the film but does add that she loved working with young Garises.
On the topic of dynamic duos, ‘Valara’ also reunites Schott and Emvula who have become a bit of a dream team.
“Obed and I have been looking for films to do together ever since we made ‘Katutura’. We have been developing a few projects separately, but when we both get excited about a story, this is when we start working,” says Schott.
“Obed and I have two feature films in development at the moment. I think our writing is quite complementary. On this film, I would write the main story and then he would spice it up, giving it different twists and turns that elevate it to another level.”
Boasting tried and triumphant collaborations and a new and challenging genre to explore for Schott, ‘Valara’ is set for release next year and Schott hints at some complexity.
“There is a beauty in stories that use fantastical or horror scenarios to talk about real world issues,” he says.
“It’s a privilege to develop and shoot a story like this.”
– martha@namiban.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram, marthamukaiwa.com.
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