A film produced by South African broadcaster Anele Mdoda, who served as the executive producer through her company, garnered high praise at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Canada.
Mdoda expressed her pride, stating, “Our hearts are beaming with pride following the exceptional reception that our film received during its screening at TIFF.”
The South African film Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight made its Canadian debut at TIFF last Thursday. The film was produced by Rose and Oaks Media, a company co-founded by Mdoda, Frankie Du Toit, and Paul Buys.
Mdoda celebrated the film’s success on Instagram, reflecting, “From working on the red carpet at the Oscars to walking the red carpet at The Toronto Film Festival, we are nothing if not miracles in motion.”
She dedicated the film’s festival success to her father and highlighted the honor of representing the South African film industry. “This is a profound moment for all of us, and it is truly an honor to represent the South African film industry so well,” said Buys, a producer at Rose and Oaks Media. “We are filled with immense joy to see our film being received so well on an international stage.”
Based on Alexandra Fuller’s New York Times Bestseller of the same name, Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is directed by the acclaimed South African-American actress Embeth Davidtz.
Davidtz, known for her roles in Schindler’s List, The Amazing Spider-Man, and the 1996 classic Matilda, remarked, “It is a heart-warming and remarkable moment to have my directorial debut being recognized as one of the best films at this year’s TIFF.” She attributed the recognition to the collective effort of everyone involved and expressed her gratitude and motivation to continue sharing authentic stories.
The film, directed by Davidtz, explores the decline of colonialism through the perspective of eight-year-old Bobo as Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) nears its crucial 1980 election, signaling the end of white rule. Davidtz plays Nicola Fuller, Bobo’s mother, who sleeps with a machine gun to protect her family from “terrorists” or snakes, teaching her daughter to see any African as a potential threat.