The South African film, ‘Wild is the Wind’, produced, written and directed by AFDA alumnus Fabian Medea premiered on Netflix on the 30 October and is blowing both audiences and critics away around the world.
It entered into the top ten most watched films on Netflix South Africa in its first week of streaming and is receiving rave reviews from film critics.
Fabian’s debut feature film, which he started writing 11 years ago, tells the story of a grizzly murder in a small town and reveals the societal and racial fault lines of South African society.
On IMDB, Melissa Media gives ‘Wild is the Wind’ a rave review. “It kept you captivated; the subplots kept you wanting more. The name in itself captivated how wild life can be as exhibited in the film. The movie had a realistic look at society and the real issues being faced with diversity. The two Corrupt Cops essentially are good people but are faced with challenging decisions and end up making choices that affect the whole community. You see love, corruption, thriller, fear, intelligence, and mystery contained in this Film. There are religious undertones, especially listening to the songs throughout the film. Best Film of the year.”
Martin Cid, Founder and editor of MCM, says that the movie manages to rely on its strong points: a good narrative structure and compelling characterizations that have stories to tell in a secluded township that witnesses how a murder will uncover underlying issues that have quietly been sizzling under the surface.
“With its ability to tell the story, it seeks to tell, and play on “both sides”, justifying the (evident) social commentary in a thriller about conflicts, with interesting characters, and particularly, with a good screenplay. It does not stand out for its technical grandeur, being understated in that aspect, as its strengths lie elsewhere.”
“It is not a fancy production, with over-the-top special effects, its down to earth, with its social realist take, that will teleport you to this remote town.”
Fabian recently did a guest lecture at the AFDA Johannesburg campus talking to students about making his film and opportunities for SA filmmakers at Netflix. He is currently in pre-production on 2 new feature films – writing & directing.
