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Johannesburg – For the first time in his life, director Gerrit Schoonhoven is unsure about how people will react to his art.
Hartland, a drama series written by Deon Opperman and directed by Schoonhoven, will make its TV debut on Tuesday July 19.
He warns that this 13-episode series is going to cut to the heart. The focal point of the series is the issues that South Africans are confronted with daily.
Hartland features seasoned actors Marius Weyers, Brümilda van Rensburg, Sandra Prinsloo and Johan Scholtz.
The Angola Bush War, a topic that Schoonhoven and Opperman experienced and feel strongly about, throws a curveball in the storyline and affects the characters' everyday lives.
Inspire people
Schoonhoven reckons he couldn't have tackled this project successfully had he not been hit by ruthless crime himself. His sister and brother-in-law were both attacked, hacked to death and set on fire in Madagascar last year.
He has experienced the cruel loss of loved ones, but also the compassion and forgiveness that can come from such a horror, therefore Hartland is produced and written from the heart.
When he was young, Schoonhoven wanted to become a minister but decided he wouldn't be a good preacher, so he started acting instead.
Stage directing did not captivate him for long, but it was on stage where he discovered that his God-given talent is to inspire people.
Personal and universal
Schoonhoven's productions include Meeulanders, Soutmansland, Orion and Plek van die vleisvreters and today Schoonhoven is a full time director on Binnelanders.
The series Orion, based on Deon Meyer's eponymous book, was the first work that got Schoonhoven excited. It was something he understood and felt familiar with.
He saysHartland is the second project that really speaks to him. This series provided a focal point where all his previous knowledge and experience came together to deliver his best work yet.
He suspects that families who watch the series will differ, hence the uncertainty.
"How will people react when they recognise themselves in a production? Will it make them wonder, evoke thoughts and challenge them with life-changing decisions? Or will the viewers reject it because the past and present hurts to much?"
One thing is for sure: Hartland is very personal yet universal.
Hartland premieres on Tuesday July 19 at 20:00 on kykNET.
Hartland, a drama series written by Deon Opperman and directed by Schoonhoven, will make its TV debut on Tuesday July 19.
He warns that this 13-episode series is going to cut to the heart. The focal point of the series is the issues that South Africans are confronted with daily.
Hartland features seasoned actors Marius Weyers, Brümilda van Rensburg, Sandra Prinsloo and Johan Scholtz.
The Angola Bush War, a topic that Schoonhoven and Opperman experienced and feel strongly about, throws a curveball in the storyline and affects the characters' everyday lives.
Inspire people
Schoonhoven reckons he couldn't have tackled this project successfully had he not been hit by ruthless crime himself. His sister and brother-in-law were both attacked, hacked to death and set on fire in Madagascar last year.
He has experienced the cruel loss of loved ones, but also the compassion and forgiveness that can come from such a horror, therefore Hartland is produced and written from the heart.
When he was young, Schoonhoven wanted to become a minister but decided he wouldn't be a good preacher, so he started acting instead.
Stage directing did not captivate him for long, but it was on stage where he discovered that his God-given talent is to inspire people.
Personal and universal
Schoonhoven's productions include Meeulanders, Soutmansland, Orion and Plek van die vleisvreters and today Schoonhoven is a full time director on Binnelanders.
The series Orion, based on Deon Meyer's eponymous book, was the first work that got Schoonhoven excited. It was something he understood and felt familiar with.
He saysHartland is the second project that really speaks to him. This series provided a focal point where all his previous knowledge and experience came together to deliver his best work yet.
He suspects that families who watch the series will differ, hence the uncertainty.
"How will people react when they recognise themselves in a production? Will it make them wonder, evoke thoughts and challenge them with life-changing decisions? Or will the viewers reject it because the past and present hurts to much?"
One thing is for sure: Hartland is very personal yet universal.
Hartland premieres on Tuesday July 19 at 20:00 on kykNET.
