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Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story is a South African drama film, directed by Daryne Joshua. Based on true events, the film tells a story of the damaged relationship between a woman and her son, who is addicted to drug abuse. It also narrates the itinerary of events that led to the murder of her son, as well as the legal process that followed afterwards.[1] It received multiple nominations at the 15th Africa Movie Academy Awards.
| Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Daryne Joshua |
| Written by | Amy Jephta |
| Starring |
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Release date |
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Running time | 123 minutes |
| Country | South Africa |
| Language | Afrikaans |
Cast
edit- Jill Levenberg as Ellen
- Jarrid Geduld as Abie
- Elton Landrew
- Clint Brink
- Ilse Klink
Production
editDirector Daryne Joshua initially didn't want to accept the role considering the sensitivity of the story. But after a personal encounter with Ellen Pakkies (the real person on whom the title character was based), he decided to go ahead with the project.[2]
Release
editThe film was released in South Africa on 7 September 2018.[3]
Reception
editCritical reception
editIn his review, Peter Feldman for The Citizen praised the lead characters, as well as the script and production. Describing it as one of South Africa's best films in recent times, he gave it a 4/5 overall rating.[4] Likewise, DRM.am gave it a four-star rating, with much of its praise going for the underlying message in the film. It read that the film "...is a constant reminder how easy it is to judge somebody without really knowing the reasons behind the facts."[5] Giles Grifin for Life Righting Collective recounted from the theme of the film how the society have failed to adequately protect persons living with addicts or even the addict themselves.[3] Daily Maverick suggested that the execution of the film was so special that it should be celebrated even outside of South Africa.[6] It received a 8/10 excellent rating from Spling Movies, who applauded the "soundtrack, raw honesty and confessional drama" of the film. It also got acclaim for the social responsibility message, and was recommended as a model for other movies.[7]
Accolades
editThe film was screened at Rotterdam international Film Festival, as well as Seattle International Film Festival.[2] It won three awards including category for best actress, best actor and best scriptwriter at kykNET Silwerskerm Festival.[8]
References
edit- ^ "South Africa: Ellen Pakkies Was 'Desperate'". allAfrica. 3 December 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ a b Dordley, Lucinda (25 June 2018). "Ellen Pakkies movie makes international waves". Cape Town etc. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ a b Grifin, Giles (1 October 2018). "Film review: The Ellen Pakkies Story".
- ^ Feldman, Peter (7 September 2018). "Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story review AddThis Sharing Buttons Share to Facebook Share to TwitterShare to WhatsAppShare to Email". The Citizen. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ "Review: The Story Of Ellen Pakkies". 11 June 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ Spector, JBrooks (27 September 2018). "A cinematic event that deserves wide audiences in South Africa and abroad". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ "Movie Review: Ellen – The Ellen Pakkies Story". Spling Movies. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ Berry, Orielle (5 September 2018). "'Ellen, The Ellen Pakkies the Story': A tragic tale of the awful cycle of abuse". Independent Online (South Africa). Retrieved 18 November 2022.