Marelize on bike. (Supplied)
- MultiChoice has commissioned “My F*k, Marelize,” a Namibian feature film inspired by Marelize Horn’s viral bike accident video.
- Filming begins in September in Windhoek, following Marelize’s journey and her mother’s cancer diagnosis.
- Written by Safta-winning Brett Michael Innes, the film celebrates Namibian and South African culture with humour and depth.
At the Silwerskerm Festival on Wednesday, MultiChoice announced the production of My F*k, Marelize, a Namibian feature film inspired by Marelize Horn, who went viral in 2019 for her video of riding a bike into a rugby pole.
Filming will begin in Namibia this September.
Set in Windhoek and inspired by the actual events that led up to the iconic rugby pole incident, the film follows the accident-prone Marelize as she prepares to become an au pair in the Netherlands and her mother, Heidi, as she handles a cancer diagnosis.
READ | ‘My f*k, Marelize’ talks to us: ‘I fall down every day’
Written by Safta-winning screenwriter Brett Michael Innes, the film marks the feature debut of Zandré Coetzer, known for directing the South African hit series “Dinge van ‘n Kind,” based on Marita van der Vyver’s beloved YA novel.
“The film is going to surprise everyone,” said Innes
He added:
When people think of a movie based on the phrase ‘my f*k, Marelize’, they’re probably expecting a slapstick comedy about a teenager who bumps into things all the time. The story of the Horn family has so much more depth than that, and we can’t wait to surprise viewers with it.
Coetzer said, “This story is a celebration of life—a showcase of how our people in Namibia and South Africa greet every challenge with a joke and face it with laughter.”
“I was fortunate to spend time with the Horn family, and witnessing their dynamic as a unit gave me such a clear vision for the film. As an Afrikaner, it is really special to be able to celebrate my language, culture and people in a story that speaks to our humour and way of doing life.”
My F*k, Marelize, is a Namibian and South African co-production. It is a collaboration between Windhoek-based producers Joel Haikali and Sophie Haikali from Joe Vision Productions and Cape Town production companies Nagvlug Films and Nostalgia Productions.
Paulo Areal rounds out the producing team, with financing from the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), kykNET Films, and MultiChoice Namibia.
Marelize and Heidi Horn. (Supplied)
Waldimar Pelser, M-Net channel director for premium channels, said, “kykNET is deeply rooted in Namibia, and we take great pride to be able to support not just any co-production with strong Namibian ties, but this one—a story full of pathos and humour with a unique local character.”
Joel Haikali said, “This lively Namibia-South Africa co-production is a love letter to Windhoek life”.
“It celebrates our quirky Namibian charm and vibrant spirit with plenty of humour and our very own delicious flavour of Afrikaans. It’s a film for the entire family, and we are very excited to be a part of it.”
Marelize Horn said:
It’s crazy how this keeps growing. When I got a random Facebook message from Brett last year about wanting to make a film about our family, I didn’t know quite what to expect. Now they’re about to start filming, and I can’t wait to see how our experience is brought to life.
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