Epic release: 'My f*k, Marelize! is a movie for anyone who understands that 'family dynamics can also be family dynamite'.
Six years ago, a video clip taken by a mother of her daughter crashing her bicycle into a rugby goalpost skyrocketed around the globe, with the words “My f*k, Marelize” becoming part of the nation’s “vocabulary”.
Marelize Horn’s cycling misadventure has, however, evolved from a simple viral video into a fully-fledged feature film set to debut at the Silwerskermfees taking place from 20 to 23 August in Cape Town.
Following its debut at kykNET’s annual film festival, My f*k, Marelize! will open at movie cinemas nationwide in South Africa and Namibia on 26 and 29 August, respectively.
‘My f*k, Marelize!’: More than a viral video
My f*k, Marelize! tells the story of Heidi, a strong-willed woman hiding her cancer from her family. Marelize, her accident-prone daughter, needs to learn how to ride a bike to become an au pair in the Netherlands. How hard can that be?
Zandélle Meyer is Marelize with Je-ani Swiegelaar and Neels Claasen playing the roles of her parents, Heidi and Tiaan. Nichola Viviers is Marelize’s younger sister, Wilmari.
WATCH: ‘My f*k, Marelize!’ trailer
‘It still doesn’t feel real’
“Never in our wildest dreams,” commented Marelize about the fact that the video clip, which turned her and her mother into an internet sensation, is now a feature film.
“Mom shared the video with my sister and the family, and we thought that would be the end of it. But almost overnight it touched so many people.”
“It was shared to Facebook and YouTube by other people, which just showed how many people wanted to be part of this moment. It still doesn’t feel real. How many people can say something like this has happened to them?”
Journey with cancer
Behind this viral clip, which had the country in stitches, is a family with a deeply human story.
Marelize explained that the film is important to her mother, Heidi because of her journey with cancer.
“Her story is not an easy one. She fought hard and wanted to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That is the most important part of this film. We want people to know that God is the answer.
“We would never have been able to walk this path on our own. People must realise that you are never alone; [it] doesn’t matter how tough the world out there is.”
The Horns have a placard in their bathroom with the words “Each day is not good, but there is good in every day.”
“Life has thrown us a couple of curveballs, and these words are so true when it comes to our family,” said Marelize.
“This movie is about my mother. She has the opportunity to tell her story and help others who need it.”
‘My f*k, Marelize!’: A story about family
My f*k, Marelize! was filmed in Windhoek and made possible by kykNET, Multichoice Namibia and the NFVF (National Film and Video Foundation).
Zandré Coetzer, known for her work on the hit South African series Dinge van ‘n Kind, makes her feature film directorial debut with My f*k, Marelize!
“It is a story about family,” remarked Coetzer.
“This is a movie for anyone who understands that family dynamics can also be family dynamite. The story at the heart of the film is actually so small, but it throws a huge punch. In short: It is a story about life.”
‘A film they would be proud of’
Coetzer and Brett Michael Innes, the screenwriter of My f*k, Marelize! and known for the feature films Sink (2015) and Fiela se Kind (2019), went to visit the Horns in Windhoek on numerous occasions.
“They opened their home and their hearts to us, and it later felt as if we were visiting family. I wanted to make a film that they would be proud of,” said Coetzer.
“The Horns made me again realise how important family relationships are and how fortunate you are to have a family you can call your own. That is what I wanted to capture in this film.
“My hope is that when people have watched the film, they would reach out to their family members for a get-together.”
‘My f*k Marelize’ at Silwerskermfees: When and where to watch
- My f*k Marelize! premieres on Wednesday, 20 August, at the Silwerskermfees at the Rotunda in Camps Bay at 8.15pm.
- There is a second screening of My f*k Marelize! on Saturday, 23 August, at 11.30am at the Silwerskermfees film festival. Tickets available from Quicket.
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