'My F*k, Marelize' film to start shooting in September
Based on a true story
A Windhoek family's journey through comedy and crisis will soon be immortalised as a feature film.
A viral video with a catch phrase that captured the heart of the nation is getting the big screen treatment as MultiChoice announced production on a feature film aptly titled 'My F*k, Marelize' at this year’s Silwerskerm Festival in Cape Town.
Set in Windhoek and inspired by true events that led to the now infamous rugby pole incident, the film follows accident-prone Marelize Horn as she prepares to become an au pair in the Netherlands and her mother, Heidi Horn, as she handles a cancer diagnosis. This is all set against the backdrop of WIKA, the annual Windhoek Carnival.
The video, which went viral in 2019, showed Marelize learning to ride a bike on a rugby field before crashing into the rugby pole. With a sigh and as she walks to her daughter's aid, Heidi can be heard saying "my f*k, Marelize!"
And so an overnight sensation was born.
Written by award-winning screenwriter Brett Michael Innes ('Sink', 'Fiela se Kind'), the film marks the feature film debut of Zandré Coetzer, a television director of the South African hit series ‘Dinge van ’n Kind’, based on a beloved young adult novel by Marita van der Vyver. Coetzer is also known for her producing work on the mini-series ‘Donkerbos’, which won five trophies at the South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) and was sold internationally.
“This film is going to surprise everyone,” Innes said. “When people think of a movie based on the phrase ‘my f*k, Marelize’, they're probably expecting a slapstick comedy about a teenager who bumps into things all the time. The story of the Horn family has so much more depth than that, and we can’t wait to surprise viewers with it.”
Celebration of life
“This story is a celebration of life,” Coetzer said. “A showcase of how our people in Namibia and South Africa greet every challenge with a joke and face it with laughter. I was fortunate to spend time with the Horn family, and witnessing their dynamic as a unit gave me such a clear vision for the film. As an Afrikaner, it is really special to be able to celebrate my language, culture and people in a story that speaks to our humour and way of doing life.”
A Namibian and South African co-production, the film is a collaboration with Windhoek-based producers Joel and Sophie Haikali from Joe Vision Productions (co-producers of 2024 Berlinale-selected 'Pepe') and the Cape Town production companies Nagvlug Films and Nostalgia Productions. Paulo Areal ('Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story', 'Five Fingers for Marseilles') rounds out the producing team with financing from the National Film & Video Foundation, kykNET Films and MultiChoice Namibia.
“kykNET is deeply rooted in Namibia, and we take great pride to be able to support not just any co-production with strong Namibian ties, but this one – a story full of pathos and humour, with a unique local character,” Waldimar Pelser, M-Net channel director of premium channels, said.
Namibia to the world
“The 'My F*k, Marelize' production will be an incredibly exciting addition to the local content MultiChoice Namibia is already creating for our DStv, GOtv and Showmax offerings,” MultiChoice Namibia managing director Roger Gertze said. “More specifically because it speaks to our local content strategy and to our continuous ambitions to see more Namibian content on our screens. We couldn’t be prouder to be at the centre of the growing creative industry and to be the conduit that takes Namibia to the world.”
“This lively Namibia-South Africa co-production is a love letter to Windhoek life,” producer Joel Haikali said. “It celebrates our quirky Namibian charm and vibrant spirit with plenty of humour, and our very own delicious flavour of Afrikaans. It’s a film for the entire family, and we are very excited to be a part of it!”
The Horn family, made up of Marelize, Heidi, Tiaan and Wilmari, have been present since the start of the film development. They opened their homes and lives to the production team. Filming is set to start in September.
“It’s crazy how this keeps growing,” Marelize said. “When I got a random Facebook message from Brett last year about wanting to make a film about our family, I didn’t know quite what to expect. Now they’re about to start filming, and I can’t wait to see how our experience is brought to life.”
Set in Windhoek and inspired by true events that led to the now infamous rugby pole incident, the film follows accident-prone Marelize Horn as she prepares to become an au pair in the Netherlands and her mother, Heidi Horn, as she handles a cancer diagnosis. This is all set against the backdrop of WIKA, the annual Windhoek Carnival.
The video, which went viral in 2019, showed Marelize learning to ride a bike on a rugby field before crashing into the rugby pole. With a sigh and as she walks to her daughter's aid, Heidi can be heard saying "my f*k, Marelize!"
And so an overnight sensation was born.
Written by award-winning screenwriter Brett Michael Innes ('Sink', 'Fiela se Kind'), the film marks the feature film debut of Zandré Coetzer, a television director of the South African hit series ‘Dinge van ’n Kind’, based on a beloved young adult novel by Marita van der Vyver. Coetzer is also known for her producing work on the mini-series ‘Donkerbos’, which won five trophies at the South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) and was sold internationally.
“This film is going to surprise everyone,” Innes said. “When people think of a movie based on the phrase ‘my f*k, Marelize’, they're probably expecting a slapstick comedy about a teenager who bumps into things all the time. The story of the Horn family has so much more depth than that, and we can’t wait to surprise viewers with it.”
Celebration of life
“This story is a celebration of life,” Coetzer said. “A showcase of how our people in Namibia and South Africa greet every challenge with a joke and face it with laughter. I was fortunate to spend time with the Horn family, and witnessing their dynamic as a unit gave me such a clear vision for the film. As an Afrikaner, it is really special to be able to celebrate my language, culture and people in a story that speaks to our humour and way of doing life.”
A Namibian and South African co-production, the film is a collaboration with Windhoek-based producers Joel and Sophie Haikali from Joe Vision Productions (co-producers of 2024 Berlinale-selected 'Pepe') and the Cape Town production companies Nagvlug Films and Nostalgia Productions. Paulo Areal ('Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story', 'Five Fingers for Marseilles') rounds out the producing team with financing from the National Film & Video Foundation, kykNET Films and MultiChoice Namibia.
“kykNET is deeply rooted in Namibia, and we take great pride to be able to support not just any co-production with strong Namibian ties, but this one – a story full of pathos and humour, with a unique local character,” Waldimar Pelser, M-Net channel director of premium channels, said.
Namibia to the world
“The 'My F*k, Marelize' production will be an incredibly exciting addition to the local content MultiChoice Namibia is already creating for our DStv, GOtv and Showmax offerings,” MultiChoice Namibia managing director Roger Gertze said. “More specifically because it speaks to our local content strategy and to our continuous ambitions to see more Namibian content on our screens. We couldn’t be prouder to be at the centre of the growing creative industry and to be the conduit that takes Namibia to the world.”
“This lively Namibia-South Africa co-production is a love letter to Windhoek life,” producer Joel Haikali said. “It celebrates our quirky Namibian charm and vibrant spirit with plenty of humour, and our very own delicious flavour of Afrikaans. It’s a film for the entire family, and we are very excited to be a part of it!”
The Horn family, made up of Marelize, Heidi, Tiaan and Wilmari, have been present since the start of the film development. They opened their homes and lives to the production team. Filming is set to start in September.
“It’s crazy how this keeps growing,” Marelize said. “When I got a random Facebook message from Brett last year about wanting to make a film about our family, I didn’t know quite what to expect. Now they’re about to start filming, and I can’t wait to see how our experience is brought to life.”
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