Online Reporter
SOME stories begin with million-rand budgets and major studio backing. Liefde Is Rooi began on the edge of a grandmother’s bed, with tea, biscuits, a second-hand laptop and a young man determined to tell a story that mattered.
This September, that same story will make its nationwide cinema debut, marking an extraordinary journey for writer, producer and director Enrico Hartzenberg.
Originally staged at the Toyota US Woordfees in 2018, where it earned a Best Ensemble nomination, Liefde Is Rooi has been reimagined as a powerful short film featuring some of South Africa’s finest acting talent, including Meggan-Lee Johnstone, Sanchia Davids, Joshua Vraagom, SAFTA-winning actor Abduragman Adams and acclaimed actress Lee-Ann van Rooi.
But for Hartzenberg, the film represents far more than another credit on his résumé.
“It means everything to me,” he says.
“What started as an idea on a second-hand laptop while sitting on my grandmother’s bed has now grown into a film that will be seen by audiences across the country. It’s proof that dreams are valid, regardless of where you come from or what resources you have.”
The film follows James, a young man carrying the weight of a devastating family secret while desperately trying to protect his younger sister from a truth he believes could destroy her.
Through themes of love, sacrifice, resilience and generational trauma, Liefde Is Rooi explores what happens when silence becomes too heavy to bear.
Hartzenberg says the inspiration came from recognising that these are not fictional struggles confined to the screen.
“Stories like the one in Liefde Is Rooi are still happening in our communities every day,” he explains. “Families continue to carry secrets, young people continue to face difficult truths and love often exists alongside pain and sacrifice.”
Rather than simply exposing hardship, the filmmaker hopes audiences leave the cinema inspired to become part of the solution.
“I hope audiences leave the cinema having meaningful conversations about how we can better support, protect and heal our youth,” he says. “If we are willing to acknowledge generational trauma and address it, we can begin to break those cycles.”
Turning the acclaimed stage production into a film came with its own challenges, not least of which was funding.
Hartzenberg financed the project himself, refusing to allow financial limitations to silence his voice.
“If investing my own money is what it takes to bring these stories to life, then I will continue to do so because I believe in the work and in the impact, it can have,” he says. “As a young Coloured man, I believe my dreams are important, my perspective has value, and my voice deserves a place in our creative landscape.”
Working alongside Director of Photography Alex Daniels, Hartzenberg carefully storyboarded every frame, while learning one of filmmaking’s greatest lessons, that creativity often lives in the unexpected.
“No matter how much you plan, something unexpected can happen on the day, and sometimes those moments lead to even better creative choices,” he reflects.
The cast also became instrumental in bringing authenticity to the story.
“I wanted actors who could naturally understand the emotional and cultural nuances of the story,” says Hartzenberg. “Working with South African actors brought an authenticity to the performances that cannot be taught.”
Premiering during Heritage Month is equally significant.
For Hartzenberg, heritage is not only about history but also about the stories communities choose to tell and preserve.
“Liefde Is Rooi is about family, identity, love, pain and resilience, things deeply connected to our South African heritage,” he says. “It allows us to reflect on who we are, where we have come from and how our experiences continue to shape future generations.”
Ultimately, Hartzenberg hopes audiences leave with one enduring message: that healing is possible.
“I want people to remember that every child deserves to feel safe, loved, heard and supported,” he says. “Breaking cycles of generational trauma begins with all of us.”
For a filmmaker whose journey started with little more than determination and a story he believed needed to be told, Liefde Is Rooi is already a remarkable success.
And if audiences embrace it the way he hopes they will, Hartzenberg believes this is only the beginning.
“There is still so much to explore within the world of Liefde Is Rooi,” he says.
“If people connect with these characters the way I have, then I think their story is only just beginning.” —iolnews
