The youth of Alra Park are being given an opportunity to explore their talents in acting and filmmaking through Moeder, a short film produced by George Booysen.

The production brings together aspiring actors and actresses from the community, with Booysen describing the project as an opportunity to expose young people to the arts and encourage them to pursue positive, constructive activities.

Booysen, who is from Reiger Park, said his motivation for making the film stems from concerns about parenting, discipline and the impact that family environments can have on young people.

“I grew up in the old days where we could not answer our parents back. Even if our parents were wrong, there was a certain respect for your elders, even if they were not your parents.

“Today it is a very different situation. You can ask a child why they are not at school, and they will give you bad words in return.

The biggest reason it starts in the house is that the child can do whatever they want, and the parents will shield them with all they have.

“It can even become violent, and in many cases, these kids become gangsters or choose the wrong things in life because they know that at home they will always be protected or shielded,” he said.

Booysen said the film centres on a mother who protects her child after discovering that he possesses a firearm, despite not knowing where the weapon came from.

“A mother protects her child by hiding a gun, and she does not even know where he got the gun. The story explores one incident, how it affects the victim’s family and, ultimately, how it affects her and her child.

“I believe the film raises questions about the role of families in shaping young people’s behaviour and challenges communities to take greater responsibility for raising children. We have lost the purity in our society. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but that no longer matters. Children do whatever they like, often with their parents’ blessing.

“I believe a large amount of gang members come out of such households. Love without borders is not always love, and many parents think they do it out of love,” he said.

Booysen has produced 12 short films in Reiger Park but said safety concerns in the area had reached a point where he considered abandoning filmmaking altogether.

“There was a point where I wanted to stop. I work and fund everything myself. I have no backing from anyone but God. I use my free time on weekends and holidays to shoot. When I look at our youth, I can see the hope in their eyes. They only need an opportunity to showcase their talents, but there is no outlet for them.

“I decided that the talent God gave me, I will use to give people an opportunity to live out their talents. This project first inspires the young and older people I work with because they never imagined doing something like this.

“They thank me many times. It also teaches them to work hard toward their dreams and never give up, because making a film is not easy. It is very hard work. They keep on pushing, and it inspires me,” he said.

Booysen hopes the film will encourage other young people in Alra Park to recognise their potential and pursue positive opportunities.

The film will also inspire young people around Alra who watch it, as they will see someone they know doing something like this.

“I believe it can start a fire in them to think positively and be an inspiration rather than a problem in Alra Park.

I can only hope the message lands in the right place for the people who watch it.

“I am not judging. I am writing an open letter to our communities. Everything starts in the house, in the family.

“We cannot blame the government or something else if we do not do the right thing. My challenge is that I have to travel from home to Alra Park on Saturday morning. For now, I am blessed with transport because God made a way.

“My camera just stopped working during a shoot, but luckily it is fixed now. People watching the film must see it as a letter to ourselves.

“Everything starts with a grounded family, and love without borders is not always love. Moeder is expected to be released in September,” he said.