''Skeem'' is a 2011 South African movie that was written and directed by Tim Greene. It premiered on 16 October 2011 at the

Abu Dhabi Film Festival The Abu Dhabi Film Festival (ADFF; ar, مهرجان أبو ظبي السينمائي), formerly the Middle East International Film Festival, was an international film festival held in the city of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates from 2007 to 2 ...

, where it won the Audience's Choice Award, and opened to local theaters in South Africa later that same month. Of the film, Greene has stated that he wanted to create a film that South Africans could watch that they could be proud of and "doesn't beat them up, lash them and make them feel like watching South African films is like penance". The title track for the film, "Oons behoort mos saam", was sung by

Jack Parow Zander Tyler (born February 22, 1982), better known under his stage name Jack Parow, is a South African rapper who has collaborated with other South African artists such as Die Heuwels Fantasties, Die Antwoord and Francois Van Coke. Career ...

and EJ von Lyrik.

Synopsis

The film centers on two friends who discover a cardboard cash filled with a million dollars after their car breaks down. They decide to stay at a nearby resort, where the staff and other guests quickly discover that the pair has a large amount of money, causing everyone to create plans to steal the cash.

Cast

* Wandile Molebatsi as Vista * Kurt Schoonraad as Richie Rich * Lilani Prinsen as Jana * Grant Swanby as Drikus * Michelle Scott as Lizette *

Kenneth Nkosi Kenneth Nkosi (born 19 June 1973) is a South African actor and comedian. He portrayed Aap in the 2005 film ''Tsotsi'' (2005). He also appeared in the films ''White Wedding'' (2009) and '' Otelo Burning'' (2011), as well as ''Mad Buddies'' (201 ...

as Lucas * Rapulana Seiphemo as Nyoka

''John & John''

In 2017 Ghanain journalists reached out to Greene to check the claim by Ghanaian film maker Kofi Asamoah that he had received permission to adapt the movie. His ''2017 film John & John'' was a wholesale, unauthorized remake of Skeem, and no such permission had been granted. No legal action was taken, as Greene's lawyers informed him that the cost of pursuing an intellectual property case against Asamoah in time and money would not make it worthwhile. Asamoah claimed in public that he had received permission to adapt the movie. although in private he agreed to purchase the remake rights, but never followed through.

Reception

The

Mail & Guardian The ''Mail & Guardian'' is a South African weekly newspaper and website, published by M&G Media in Johannesburg, South Africa. It focuses on political analysis, investigative reporting, Southern African news, local arts, music and popular cult ...

reviewed the film alongside another South African film releasing around the same time, Khalo Matabane’s ''A State of Violence'', stating that the two portray very different portrayals of the country and that "''Skeem'' seems to take place in a South Africa where race is of no particular relevance, a South Africa in which all such social divisions have disappeared in the scrabble for personal gain."

Awards

* Audience's Choice Award at the

(2011, won)

References

External links

* English-language South African films 2010s English-language films {{SouthAfrica-film-stub