''Paljas'' ( English title: (''The'') ''Clown'') is a 1997

Afrikaans Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...

language South African film. ''Paljas'' was written by Chris Barnard and directed by Katinka Heyns. It is based on the book of the same name.

Synopsis

The film revolves around the lives of the rural McDonald family. The household of Hendrik McDonald, stationmaster of the tiny Karoo town, Toorwater ("Magic-water"), experience a number of unexpected situations when a travelling circus troupe leave behind a clown named Manuel. The intrigues of the story include the estranged relationship between Hendrik and his wife Katrien, partly due to her being admired by Frans Lombard. Meanwhile, their daughter Emma is discontented with her suitor, Nollie Kemp, and Willem, the household's youngest, remains withdrawn and refuses to talk. The continued presence of the eccentric clown, Manuel, is kept secret by Willem. Manuel is later cruelly chased and shot by some of the local community who consider him to be evidence of anti-Christian forces despite having succeeded in convincing Willem to communicate and healed much of the family's pain through his caring and fun nature.

Cast

The cast includes: * Marius Weyers as Hendrik MacDonald * Ellis Pearson as Manuel * Jan Ellis as Nollie * Gérard Rudolf as Jan Mol * Aletta Bezuidenhout as Katrina MacDonald * Larry Leyden as Willem MacDonald * Liezel van der Merwe as Emma MacDonald * Marthinus Bason as Dominee * Ian Roberts as Frans

Production

''Paljas'' means "magic" or to cast a spell."The Road Less Travelled - Hoekplaas, Warmbad, Barandas" - Section
"Paljas the Movie"
(with a photo from the movie set), Uniondale, Access date: 27 May 2022 The English title of the film is ''Clown''. or ''The Clown''.

Awards

The film was submitted for the 70th Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, the first South African submission since the end of

apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

References

External links

* *
MNet All Africa Film Awards
Afrikaans-language films 1997 drama films 1997 films South African drama films 1990s South African films {{1990s-drama-film-stub