South Coast starlet shines in powerful new film
Lexi Venter stuns in cinematic adaptation of best-selling memoir.
A moving portrayal of Zimbabwe’s turbulent past has a powerful South Coast connection – and it comes in the form of a bright-eyed, expressive seven-year-old actress, Lexi Venter.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, based on Alexandra Fuller’s best-selling memoir, had its South African premiere at the Durban International Film Festival last week.
Among the stars on the red carpet was young Lexi – the granddaughter of Elvira and Pierre Venter of Shelly Beach – who delivers a performance that has critics raving.
Shot in South Africa, the film is directed by Hollywood actress Embeth Davidtz, who also adapted it for screen.
It tells the story of eight-year-old Bobo, a white child growing up on a farm in war-torn Rhodesia during the final days of the Bush War, as she navigates grief, fractured family life, and the tensions of a changing nation.
Lexi, now nine, was only seven years old during filming, yet appears in almost every scene.
Her portrayal of Bobo has drawn comparisons to iconic child performances – with some calling it the most compelling since Drew Barrymore in ET and Tatum O’Neal in Paper Moon.
“She was totally untrained, extremely natural, and held the film together with her expressive face, big brown eyes, and that adorable little front tooth with a gap waiting for the next one to grow,” said proud granny and acclaimed dance instructor, Elvira.
Her parents, Riaan (a former Port Shepstone High learner) and Vanessa Venter, beamed with pride at the sold-out screening at Suncoast, where a group of enthusiastic South Coast locals travelled to Durban to support Lexi at the film festival.
Colleen Haggard, former editor of the South Coast Herald, was one of the 12 ‘Lexi groupie fans’ who attended the premiere.
“It is an uncomfortable story made memorable by Lexi’s portrayal of Bobo,” said Colleen.
“This film is deeply personal for me,” said director Embeth Davidtz. “Through Bobo’s eyes, I wanted to show that even in the middle of pain and inherited racism, love and transformation are actually possible.”
Davidtz, who drew from her own childhood in apartheid-era South Africa, delivers a raw and emotionally resonant story.
The film also stars Zikhona Bali, Fumani N Shilubana and Rob van Vuuren, and is backed by executive producers Anele Mdoda, Frankie du Toit and Trevor Noah.
It premiered globally at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, then Lexi and Vanessa attended the red carpet event at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in Canada.
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight is a rare African narrative told with authenticity and complexity – and Lexi’s performance makes it unforgettable.
Excitedly, the movie is listed as coming soon to Shelly Beach Ster-Kinekor.
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