Fiela's Child

BrettMichaelInneswasalittleboywhenthefilmversionofDaleneMattheeäsnovel‘FielaseKind’wasfirstscreened(thefilmwasalsoshownataspecialscreeningattheTallinnCinemaHousetwentyyearsago).Brettreadthenovelandwatchedthefilmonlyinsecondaryschoolanditlefthimanextraordinaryandpersonalimpressionwhichhehascarriedwithhimforlongyears.<br/>　　Brown-skinnedFielafindsasmallwhiteboynearherhome.Shetakestheboyinandstartsraisinghimasherown.Nineyearslater,abigcensusisheldandtheauthoritiesdiscovertheboy.Amotherandasonofdifferentskincolourisinappropriateandthechildistakenawayfromthemother.Forthenexttenyears,theboylivesinafamilythatclaimsthatheistheirlostson.TheboysometimesthinksabouthismotherFielawhoisconstantlywaitingforhersontocomebackhome.<br/>　　Astraightforwardfilmfulloflovetowardsthecharactersofthestory–andthatiswhattouchestheheart.Withoutdoubt,theauthorisamasterofemotions.BeforeBrettbecameafilmdirector,hehadalreadyprovenhimselfasawriterwhosenovelsarebestsellersintheSouthAfricanRepublic.Hisdebut‘Sink’wasafilmbasedonhisownnovel,whichtheaudiencelovedbothasabookandasafilm.Thedebuthasbeenconsideredasaturningpointinthefilmindustryofthedirector’shomeland,aworkthathascreatednewstandards.