The Story of Racheltjie de Beer [film]

The Story of Racheltjie de Beer [2019]

The film is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by writer and filmmaker Brett Michael Innes and tells the fabled story of Afrikaans family, the De Beers, who are forced to find shelter on a local farm in the Eastern Free State of South Africa in the 1800s. As winter arrives, and dark clouds laden with snow start to roll in over the Drakensberg Mountains, the scene is set for tragedy to strike.

“Known as an Afrikaans tale for all South Africans, the film is inspired by the cherished tale, passed down from generation to generation, of female folk hero Racheltjie de Beer,” says Innes. “When they became separated from the rest of their party, the young girl gave her life to save that of her little brother, making her mark on history as a youthful hero.”

This marks the feature debut for director Matthys Boshoff, with a script written by Innes and Boshoff. Produced by Johan Kruger (‘Sink’, ‘Revolt’), the stellar cast features Stian Bam, Zonika De Vries, Marius Weyers, Sandra Prinsloo, Antoinette Louw, and Beate Opperman. Starring in his first film role will be Johannes Jordaan in the role of Racheltjie’s little brother. The film was shot on location on the farm Tierhoek, in the rugged Eastern Free State. The filmmakers sought out a location that would express the harsh reality of living on a remote, isolated farm in the 1800s.

“We did not want to unnecessarily romanticise the period, but we were determined to find a setting that possessed a poetic quality worthy of the story,” Boshoff adds. You can watch the teaser trailer on the following link or find out more information on the film on IMDb.