Award-winning Hier.Na soon on DStv BoxOffice
One of the standout films that premiered at this year’s Silwerskerm Film Festival will be available on DStv BoxOffice from 16 December.
Hier.Na, the debut feature film directed by actress Quanita Adams, tells the story of the Burgess family – a typical, modern, culturally blended South African family in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Eric is secular, but his wife, Juleigha, who prefers to be called Julie, is a non-practicing Muslim.
They have two children. Dean is a professional online gamer, and Leila, a medical student, celebrates her Muslim identity, which she recently rediscovered – something that irritates her mother greatly. When Julie suddenly dies of a heart attack, Leila undertakes to arrange a Muslim funeral for her with the help of Julie’s mother. This upsets the whole family. Everyone must now navigate years of conflicts and undercurrents within one tumultuous day so that Julie can be buried before sunset, as Muslim custom requires.
The screenplay was written by Quanita herself, and the cast includes David Isaacs, June van Merch, Trudy van Rooy, Shiefaa Hendricks, Lyle October, Beer Adriaanse and Emile Smit.
Hier.Na won four Silwerskerm Awards: Best Actress (June van Merch), Best Supporting Actress (Trudy van Rooy), Best Costumes (Ayesha Khatieb) and Best Cinematography (Ebrahim Hajee).
Quanita says she created the film with a diverse audience in mind – ranging from those familiar with Muslim faith and customs to those who know very little about it.
“We all die one day. The ways we bury our deceased may differ, but the essence is universal. It’s about commemorating the life that has ended. Half of my family is Christian, and this film was also a way to show that different communities have distinct approaches, but there’s beauty in all those traditions. What may seem strange or odd to you, can be meaningful, special and important to others. I hope people take something of this insight from this movie.”
Rent Hier.Na on BoxOffice by following these steps:
- Go to BoxOffice on your DStv Explora or DStv Explora Ultra. Your Explora must be connected to the internet.
- Press “OK.”
- Find the movie you want to rent.
- Press “OK” again and select “Rent Now.”
- Accept the terms and conditions.
- Choose “DStv Account” as the payment method.
- Wait a few seconds for BoxOffice to process the transaction.
- Enjoy the movie!
