'Jan Bloed' tells the story of Alister Fortuin, a former member of the Fast Guns and Varados gangs in Johannesburg's notorious Westbury.
Gerrie Janse van Vuuren’s first documentary as director and producer, Jan Bloed, will have its international premiere at the 13th kykNET Silwerskermfees on 22 August in Cape Town.
The filmmaker’s passion for authentic, human-centered storytelling comes to the fore in this raw account of the life of Alister Fortuin, who earned the moniker “Jan Bloed” as leader of the Fast Guns and Varados gangs in Westbury, Johannesburg.
The gangster-turned-pastor – who now strives to be an agent of change in the Westbury community – is also a former general of the notorious 26s gang.
Jan Bloed spent 22 years behind bars for his crimes before he was released on parole and became the “Moses of Westbury”.
‘Jan Bloed’: Reformed gangster revisits past life in doccie
The documentary – which will also make a turn on DStv’s kykNET channel and Showmax – takes viewers through the gang-ridden streets of Westbury to revisit Fortuin’s old haunts.
He takes us to the place where he committed his first murder and shows us Jan Bloed’s “blomspots” (“blom” is Jozi slang for “hang out” or “chill”).
Fortuin also introduces us to characters from his past and present. We meet his mother, Felicity, who says, to her, he was always just Alister, not Jan Bloed.
One of Fortuin’s biggest regrets is that he abandoned his five-year-old son, Vercaino.
The former hardened gangster opens up about his hopes of being a better father and positive influence on Vercaino who has now also ended up in jail.
WATCH: ‘Jan Bloed’ trailer
‘Jan Bloed’: Alister Fortuin’s journey from gangster to pastor
Janse van Vuuren and Jan Bloed co-producer Nicolaas Viljoen, explain how Jan Bloed’s story came to their attention and why they decided to turn it into a documentary.
Viewers are familiar with several movies and stories about gangs in South Africa, but what makes ‘Jan Bloed’ different? Why was it important to tell this story?
The story is very personal and focuses on one person’s journey – from being a gang leader to becoming a pastor.
That is what makes this story so different. It is not just another story of how cruel and rotten gangs are, it is the story of how Alister found himself in a very dark place and received a calling to use his tale as the “Moses of Westbury” to bring about change.
For us, it is important to tell his story, because we can use it to make a difference in a community like Westbury.
When stories about gangs are told, the spotlight usually falls on the Cape Flats. Why did you decide to focus on gangs in Johannesburg, specifically in Westbury?
That is exactly why we decided on this area – because so much has already been done about the Cape Flats. We live in Johannesburg and Westbury is just around the corner from us.
Any efforts to make a difference, must be started in the places near you.
Alister, or Jan Bloed as he is called, is very honest about his former life and the crimes he committed. Was it difficult to persuade him to open up about his past?
Overall, it was not difficult, but there were times when he came across as vulnerable. Then he wasn’t too keen to share a lot of detail.
Of course, on other occasions we were startled about what he told us, and we realised how far these guys were prepared to go.
Did you ever feel intimidated while walking the streets of Westbury? How did you approach filming there?
Yes, definitely! We always had security with us, and they were constantly aware of what was happening in Westbury.
When the situation seemed dangerous, we immediately withdrew our entire team, or we simply rescheduled shooting.
We regard ourselves lucky to be able to have done the filming there, because we live in Joburg ourselves.
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How did you meet Jan Bloed and why did his story grab your attention?
We were doing research for another project and were moving around in the Westbury area.
While we were having a conversation about Westbury’s gangs with one of our contacts, the story of Jan Bloed came up.
The timing was also perfect, because our police contact bumped into him shortly after and informed us. We went for a coffee together and, as they say, the rest is history.
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What did you find most disturbing during the filming? And what do you think will shock viewers?
How easy it is for some of these guys to take a life. How bloodthirsty they can be, especially the new generation.
Viewers will be shocked to hear how young some of the guys are when they join a gang for the first time, as was the case with Alister.
Silwerskermfees screening: ‘Jan Bloed’ ticket info
- The kykNET Silwerskermfees Film Festival runs from 20 to 23 August 2025.
- Tickets for the ‘Jan Bloed’ premiere on 22 August are available from Quicket. The documentary has an age restriction of 13.
