Nothing can stop filmmaker Lance Gewer

PETER FELDMAN

Lance Gewer, a King David Linksfield alumnus and an internationally recognised South African cinematographer, recently received the African Magic Viewers Choice Award, beating a field of 300 from all over the continent.

“What makes it so special,” Gewer told Jewish Report, “is that it’s an all-Africa award, which is interesting in that we are in competition with filmmakers from all over Africa. Filmmaking is growing throughout the continent and competition is fierce.”

Articulate and passionate about his art, Gewer has certainly left his mark in a competitive industry with an impressive body of work.

Apart from “Tsotsi”, he applied his own special magic to 17 other films which include “Master Harold and the Boys”, with Freddie Highmore and Vingh Rheimes, the “Spud” series, with Troy Sivan and John Cleese and “Kite” with Samuel L Jackson. His last project, “Mandela’s Gun”, has not yet been released.

Talking about working on “Happiness is a Four Letter Word”, he said it made a nice change from previous assignments. “It gave me the opportunity to work on a film that is not dark and heavy. Happiness is light and appealing.

“The aim was to make a movie about upper-class women in the northern suburbs and their dysfunctional relationships. And it succeeded.”

Describing his job on Happiness, Gewer said simply: “It’s to make everybody feel and look good, from the director down to the stars. I always try to put myself in the shoes of the actor and I take my lead from the director and his vision.”

He cited “Tsotsi” as an example where his gritty camera work made the audience experience the same emotions as the actor, a key facet in the success of the Gavin Hood production. Director Hood told an American magazine at the time: “Lance has a very classical eye, as well as a certain restraint that really allows the performances in the pieces he photographs to shine, and that’s very much what I needed for ‘Tsotsi’.”

“With Happiness”, Gewer said, “it was a completely different approach and it needed a glamorous touch with clean, strong visuals.”

In his youth, Gewer was a champion trampolinist, earning Junior Springbok colours and attending three World Championships. At the first one held in Toronto in 1974, he came a close second.

“I received a telegram of congratulations from the then Prime Minister BJ Vorster and I was delighted. Years later, when I was 28, I found out that the reason I didn’t win was because of the boycott and South Africa was not allowed to compete.”

A single parent with two grown-up children, the 53-year-old Gewer revealed that at school he had no clue what he wanted to do with his life after school. He couldn’t afford to attend university, so he did his compulsory military service, and during that time managed a video store.

“I would watch movies until three in the morning. I saw every movie. I loved films. My uncle owned a 16mm film rental video store and I loved rewinding the movies by hand after customers returned them.”

He then applied to the Pretoria Technikon Film School because of his love for the medium. “Within a week I knew what I wanted to do with my life.”

Gewer honed his craft during the 80s and 90s directing a host of TV documentaries and dramas and filming glossy commercials and music videos. His passion remains cinematography and is not influenced by other famous cinematographers.

“I had to find my own style of storytelling and this varied from film to film. It is always a challenge to get it right. You have to study the actors and watch their facial features but it is also important in what you are trying to convey with a character, whether he is a powerful individual or plain scary. You also work with the make-up and costume teams.”

Gewer also talked about the pleasures of working with professionals like Hollywood icon Samuel L Jackson on “Kite”. Jackson brought his whole team along.

“My favourite actors were young Freddie Highmore from ‘Master Harold and the Boys’, and Troy Sivan on the two ‘Spud’ films. Troy is so mature for his age and so calm and collected. John Cleese was also great on the ‘Spud’ set – a real gentleman.”

An important facet of Gewer’s work is to get the actors to trust him with the shots and to help make them look good. “By the look on their faces you can tell whether it was a good take,” he said.

Overall, it’s a tough, competitive business. “I work from project to project, so it’s an insecure existence. However, there are a few exciting things in the pipeline…”

ace!