3D REFLECTIONS OF LIFE

Meg Rickards (film director, Tess) and Christia Visser ( lead actress, Tess) at the premiere of Tess at the Durban International Film Festival   The film, Tess ,  is based on the book, Whiplash by South African novelist, Tracey Farren. Tess  is a gut-wrenching film that grapples with the abuse of women within the soul-destroying context of drug addiction, prostitution, violence and poverty. We see the brutality against women through the eyes of Tess , the main character. Tess , the prostitute and drug addict, lives recklessly by selling her body to men who violently abuse her as they see her as a sex object worthy of their lust and disgust. It is only when Tess becomes pregnant that she starts her own painful journey of healing. Reluctant at first, she confronts her dark, horrifying past of being sexually-abused as a child and then becomes more determined to transform her life.  Although there are glimpses of hope for Tess and h...

About a month ago, we celebrated Mothers's Day. Yesterday was Fathers's Day and today is Youth Day. In less than two months, on 09 August we will be celebrating Women's Day. In effect, all those who make up a family unit will be acknowledged and affirmed for the profound roles they play in their families and communities in this cycle of celebrations.   But alas, in most instances we are merely ceremonial, doing the talks and the shows. We don't really want to deal with the real issues of absent fathers, broken families and disenchanted youth. Cathy ( not her real name) and her family are a case in point.   Cathy's family typifies how deeply scarred we are. Cathy, a mother of five children, is a recovering abused victim. She has finally divorced her abusive husband, but she is still sharing a home with him because she depends on him financially. They are two strangers stuck together because of circumstances. The battle lines are drawn and all the family ...