Local acts in big Canadian film

Bordeaux resident Mark Donker (44) may only act part-time for “fun and pocket money” but he recently played an important role in a Canadian film, starring some Hollywood actors.

Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek), Xavier Dolan (Heartbeats) and Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich) lead the way in Elephant Song, with Donker not far behind.

Directed by Charles Binamé, and based on a play with the same name by Nicolas Billon, the film is a “psycho drama” says Donker.

It is about a psychiatrist (Greenwood) who seeks to find a colleague who went missing.

A disturbed patient (Dolan) claims to have information, and begins to manipulate the doctor and institution through complex, dangerous mind games.

Integral to the story is the patient’s father, Jakobus Aleen (Donker), who through an ordeal with an elephant in Africa, accidentally triggers his son’s mental deterioration.

“I enjoyed the experience of the movie,” Donker says. “But the role was not one that suited my personality. My character was typical of a South African man at the time [’50s], but I unintentionally abused my son psychologically.”

He explained that as a father, this challenged him.

Donker works in the freight shipping industry, and is managing director of Pack and Send. He started acting part-time after completing a six-week acting course in 2001. Since then, he has appeared in numerous advertisements and made cameo appearances on Isidingo, Scandal and Backstage.

He likes acting because it “pushes your boundaries and challenges your mind”.

The film made its première at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff), Canada, on 10 September, and is currently screened at film festivals around the world. It was produced by Melenny Productions, a Canadian company.

Donker said that the film should be distributed in South Africa, but could not say when.