The film, which is set to be released on the 8th of August, features Jennifer Hudson as Aretha and tells her story from when she was a kid, singing in her father’s church choir up to where she became an international superstar. It also features icons such as Forest Whitaker as Aretha’s father and Marlon Wayans as her first husband. Other supporting roles include Tituss Burgess, Mary J. Blige, and Marc Maron.

Of the actors and the crew, the Fracteton born Liesl had nothing but praise, describing them as ‘focused professionals’. Most of Liesl’s praise is reserved for the iconic Forest. She described him as a ‘humble genius’ that operated “on a level of complexity… that is really impressive”. She also described Jennifer as being devoted to making Aretha come to life by preparing both her voice and practicing Aretha’s body movements, months in advance. Of the comedic icons, Marlon and Tituss, she says that people will be pleasantly surprised by how gifted and talented they are in these dramatic roles.

Liesl is grateful that both the cast and crew trusted her and in return, she trusted them back. She says that in general, a movie set has a director and everyone listens to that director. However, on Liesl’s set, she made sure that everyone was equal and had a say in what the move should look like. This led to a work environment where there was no drama and nobody was trying to outshine the other. Instead, everybody showed up on time and excited about making the vision she had in mind, come to life. This is the vision that got her both the job and the respect of everyone that worked on set.

Now, being chosen to do a movie is not as simple as it sounds and studios usually interview many directors before they choose one. Liesl says that she was contacted by the studio bosses for a meeting where she was asked to share her ideas about how she would do the movie. When she got to the meeting, she greeted everyone and jumped right into what her vision for the movie was which included the time period, the songs, and the style of the movie. After the meeting, they thanked her and told her that they would get back to her. Two weeks later, they called her back and told her that she got the job. Studios also usually first hire a screenwriter and then a director, but the studio bosses were so confident in Liesl’s vision that they hired her first.

Of course, this is Liesl’s first movie but a South African always has a plan and she is not one to come unprepared. She had always wanted to do movies and started practicing with a film camera while directing her stage plays. One of the things she did was experiment with a camera to see how she could make her theatre plays even better. Some of her plays also had to be recorded on film which basically meant that Liesl also had to ‘direct’ the cameraperson to make sure that they filmed from the right angles.

The next thing she did was practice her hand at filmmaking by directing episodes of television programs. These include popular shows such as Queen Sugar, Insecure, The Walking Dead, and Jessica Jones. By the time she started working on ‘Respect’, she was confident that she had sufficiently prepared herself for the major task of filming a big-screen movie. She had spent years making sure that she could handle a camera and once again, by the looks of the trailer, it seems like she got it right. But of course, it isn’t just about the camera. It is also about making characters come to life and for a director, that means connecting with the character on a deeper level.

When asked what part of her identifies with Aretha, Liesl quickly responded that it was Aretha’s political identity. Having been a kid in apartheid South Africa, she could understand how Aretha felt as a kid in a racially segregated US. Like Aretha, Liesl was always surrounded by adults talking about revolution and resistance. Also like Aretha, Liesl isn’t just all talk and she used her art to fight against racial and gender discrimination.

Whereas songs such as Aretha’s ‘Respect’ became a big part of the civil rights movement (the US’s version of the struggle), Liesl used the theatre to make her mark in the world of activism. Liesl’s family had moved to the US when she was 15 and it was here that she was involved with her first high school play, ‘Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf’. Written by Ntozake Shange, the play is essentially about seven African American women who have experienced horrors such as rape, abandonment, abortion, and domestic violence. This play was the beginning of her journey as an artist, a journey that would lead her to direct many plays right across the US, including the award-winning Broadway play, Eclipsed.

Eclipsed was written by Danai Gurira (who is most famously known as, Michonne, on the hit show, The Walking Dead) and it was the first Broadway play to feature an all-black and all-female creative cast and team. The play, which is about five Liberian women and their tale of survival near the end of the Second Liberian Civil War, went on become a massive hit, running for several years and receiving several awards and nominations. These included a Tony nomination for Liesl for best director, the highest honour a US stage director can receive. Her activism did not stop when she partnered with Disney to direct the R400 million stage version of Frozen.

Disney is very strict about how it does things and always features characters in their stage plays that look like the characters in the movies. The Frozen movie essentially featured all-white characters but Liesl insisted that if Disney hired her, she would be able to hire a more diverse cast. This led to the first African Americans playing the roles of Anna and Hans. Kids of all races and ages loved it and it made no difference to them that Anna was black (proving once and for all that the world will become a better place because of future generations). Cooper Howell, who played the part of Hans, said that Liesl made sure that everybody was equal and no one was treated differently because of the colour of their skin. Needless to say, Liesl had already made a major contribution towards the fight for equality, just like Aretha had.

When asked what inspiration the audience (especially young people) can get from the story of Aretha Franklin, Liesl looks at how everyone can relate to the trauma and pain that Aretha experienced. Not only did she have to deal with racial and gender discrimination, but she also dealt with childhood sexual abuse as well as the divorce of her parents, and as an adult, she survived a physically and verbally abusive marriage. However, says Liesl, “everybody has their own capability to heal themselves” and “find a light at their own dark tunnel”. The key, says Liesl, is to connect with that part of “the self” that “that is bigger than the trauma or the pain” and Aretha found this through her faith. Liesl concludes that Aretha struggled and “got trapped in her own head but she ultimately fought her way through that into a brighter, better future for herself”.

The movie will premiere on the 8th of August internationally and on the 13th of August in South Africa, in cinemas right across the country. If you’re a fan of Aretha and want to experience her larger-than-life story, be sure to show some ‘Respect’ by grabbing a ticket at a cinema near you.

If you want to watch the trailer, check it out below:

The post Cape Town’s Liesl Tommy Brings Aretha Franklin’s Story to the Big Screen appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

Wayde crossed the finish line with an unimpressive 45.24 seconds, with Australia’s Steven Solomon taking second place (44.94 seconds) and Colombia’s Anthony Zambrano taking first (44.87 seconds).

However, the defending champion only needed a third place finish to qualify for the semi-finals and it is known that he does not exert himself if he does not have to.

With the blistering hot Tokyo sun beating down at 40 degrees Celsius, he slowed down during the last 100m, characteristically looking around to see if he is not being overtaken.

After a touch rugby incident in 2017, the 400m record holder has had to two major reconstructions surgeries to his knee.

He spent two years recovering, limited his racing schedule and generally took it easy to made sure that his body can handle the grueling Olympic racing schedule.

For the past two seasons, Wayde had only competed in five 400m races and for the current season, is listed as 10 ^th on the international list of 400m sprinters.

However, he is currently the only South African that has made it through to the finals.

The semi-finals will take place on Monday and will start at 13:05 (South African time) in the afternoon.

The post Wayde van Niekerk Takes it Easy Qualifying for Olympic Semi-Final appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

On Saturday in a match against Chippa United, Amazulu made history, scoring the winning goal and for the first time in its existence, clinching the first place position on the log.

With Luvuyo Memela scoring the winning goal from outside the 18-yard box, the team climbed to 50 points (for the first time ever) and sailed past the reigning champions, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Mamelodi Sundowns had already won the PSL title 10 times and is currently sitting with 48 points on the log.

The team’s dramatic turnaround came when businessman, Sandile Zungu, bought the team, handing over the management of the team to lawyer, Tsepiso Mofokeng and adding well-known players such as Siphiwe Tshabalala‚ Xola Mlambo‚ and Luvuyo Memela.

The last and most important ingredient to the team was the coach and that is when they turned to Benedict Saul McCarthy.

To understand the impact that Benni has had, one has to look at the history of Amazulu.

It had only managed to crack the top 10 three times, only managed to climb as high as 7 ^th place (back in 2012) and the last time it won a trophy was in 1992 when it beat Kaizer Chiefs to take Coca-Cola Cup title.

Since then, it had become one of the teams that were most likely to be relegated and had generally finished its seasons on the bottom half of the rankings.

Last year it finished 13 ^th place on the log, raking up 30 points, won only 8 of its matches, and got beaten 3-0 by eventual trophy winners, Mamelodi Sundowns.

This year, however, it had so far moved to first place, earned 50 points, won a record 14 matches, remains unbeaten in their last 16 games, and drew against Mamelodi Sundowns.

Although the draw was not the desired outcome, it did seem to have a mental effect on the defending champions.

While Amazulu managed to win 4 of its last 5 games (its fifth being the draw against Mamelodi), Mamelodi seemed to have struggled to regain its footing, winning only 2 of its last five games, drawing two, and losing one.

Being from Hanover Park, Benni is not known for keeping his opinion to himself, criticizing everything from the state of the football pitch to the unprofessional conduct of some referees.

However, when it comes to the team, Benni shows his humble nature by refusing to talk about himself and instead, choosing to praise his players and the rest of the team.

He has warned however that the team should remain humble because winning a game does not mean they will win the next.

He advised them that instead of thinking of the trophy or the next championship, they should instead remain focused on winning the next game.

Although it’s too early to say who is going to win the trophy, as has been shown during this PSL season, it is never a good idea to place your bets against the pride of Hanover Park, Benedict Saul McCarthy.

Check out the video below of Benni celebrating with his team and if you want to know more about Benni, check out his story by clicking here .

Usuthu Usuthu Usuthu pic.twitter.com/QO6Gxu0NOU

— #Majuba Magwaza (@MajubaMagwaza) April 28, 2021

The post Super Coach, Benni McCarthy, Takes AmaZulu to Number One Spot, Makes History appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

Born and raised in Cape Town’s Retreat, the 42 year old Celeste is the founder and CEO of React24, a company that is based in the male dominated maintenance and construction industry. More specifically, her company does building and home maintenance for the largest companies in the country as well as government, which include everything from plumbing to laying down cables for fibre internet.

The ‘Standard Bank Top Women Entrepreneur’ award aims to recognise trailblazers whose efforts have uplifted women in business and society. The award is especially focused on women leaders and trailblazers currently making waves in the world of business. Over her 20 years of experience in the industry, Celeste has certainly made a lot of waves and as a woman; you have to make waves to break through the glass ceiling.

Celeste says that the maintenance and construction industry generally discriminates against women because it is believed that only men can do the industry’s ‘tough’ jobs. She says that there are many talented but unemployed women with plumbing, electrical and carpentry skills. Despite these skills being in demand, these women are not getting the jobs simply because of the crime of being born female. It doesn’t get any better if you move up the managerial ladder.

She says that despite her vast experience, her leadership and competence are still questioned, once again, just because she is a woman. Although things have improved over the years, she confesses that it is still sometimes the case that women (especially women of colour) struggle to get the larger private and government contracts, especially in her home province of the Western Cape. However, under Celeste’s leadership, React24 has built the kind of highly respected reputation that makes it hard to be ignored.

She says that she started the company around her kitchen table with the help of her husband as well as two employees and one vehicle. It is now one of the most well-known maintenance and building companies in South Africa, catering to the largest private companies and being part of the largest government construction projects. She has even added the React Training College, which aims to empower persons of colour with the vital skills needed for the industry as a whole. She is especially interested in empowering women and is in fact, one of the few companies that employ female plumbers. Her commitment to women empowerment was yet again celebrated earlier this year when she won the 2020 Woman Mentor of the Year at the inaugural Empowerment and Recognition of Women in Construction Awards.

For those hoping to become entrepreneurs, Celeste advises that your most valuable asset are the people that work for you, so get the best and treat them well. She also says that you have to be a tough and a bit forward. The world of business is only kind to those who are willing to take charge and take chances. She says that she never takes ‘no’ for an answer and this has helped her get far.

If you want to know more about Celeste and her company, or just use her services, you can do so by visiting React24.co.za

The post Celeste Named Standard Bank Top Women Entrepreneur of the Year appeared first on Coloured South Africa .

Not only did the now 35 year old achieve her goals, but on Thursday, it was announced that she was named as one of the JCI’s 2020 ‘Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World’.

The law graduate and women’s rights activist was one of 20 young persons from across the world that was short listed from thousands of nominations.

The award itself aims to identify ten of the world’s most outstanding young people under the age of 40, who have created opportunities both locally and internationally through their extraordinary service to their communities.

The award forms part of the ‘Junior Chamber International’ (JCI, an organisation that aims to “provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change”.

The ten young persons, which include Melene, will be recognized at the 2020 JCI World Congress in November which will be held in Tokyo, Japan.

The main reason for Melene’s nomination stems from her work fighting for women’s rights.

In 2017, at the age of 32, she created the ‘Women Lead Movement’, an organisation that empowers women and girls through mentorships and human rights programmes.

It also runs projects to teach boys and young men about the rights of women so that they can become better adults.

She started the organisation with her own money and despite the limited resources, the movement has already empowered more than 2000 women and young people.

The organisation is recognized by local and international human rights agencies; and has expanded internationally starting with Madagascar.

Melene hopes to expand into Namibia soon.

The JCI award is part of her growing list of honours celebrating her work empowering women.

Melene has already been selected as an Inaugural Obama Leader Africa, a Future Africa Forum Leader and a Mandela Washington Fellow.

She was also selected by the International  Advocacy Organisation  ONE Global Campaign to feature in three of their global campaigns: “Progress not Promises” “ Yours  in Power” and “Pass the Mic”.

In addition to her nomination for the ‘World’ award, she was also recently notified that was nominated for the JCI’s 2020 ‘Ten Outstanding Young Persons of South Africa’.

She was shortlisted as one of the top 21 nominees and specifically nominated for her ‘Contribution to Children, World Peace and Human Rights’.

She has also had the honour of meeting former President Barrack Obama, has written and spoken extensively on Democracy and Governance in Africa and she was recently asked to be the moderator  at the Global Gender Summit in Rwanda.

Apart from her work to empower women and young people, she has also built an impressive resume.

After completing her law degree from the University of the Western Cape in 2006, she worked for a law firm as a Candidate Attorney.

It was at this law firm that she realised that she did not want to become a lawyer for profit, instead opting to follow a path where she could help create positive change.

The following year, she became a legal researcher at the Constitutional Court, where she worked for the Constitutional Court Justices; Judge Albie Sachs and Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo.

Her reputation for being a hardworking and competent young person propelled her into the Office of the Presidency in 2010 where she was appointed as a National Cabinet Committee Secretary.

She also worked as a Special Advisor to the Minister of Sports and Recreation and then in 2011, she became the Media Liaison for the Minister of Tourism.

Despite traveling all over the world and earning a huge salary, Melene had a burning desire to help others, a quality that she got from her mother, Deserie.

Deserie was generally known for taking in anyone that needed help, even when they were living in a zink house (which is essentially a tin shed with no plumbing).

These days, Melene makes a fraction of what she did three years ago handing out free legal advice to those that cannot afford it.

It won’t make her rich, but for some, wealth has nothing to do with what you have, but rather, what you can give.

The post Lawyer, Melene Rossouw, Named as a JCI ‘Outstanding Young Person of the World’ appeared first on Coloured South Africa .