Silwerskermfees short films: Die grond onthou

With: Sonia Roman, Kevin Maxwell, Victor ‘Boy’ Josephus, Nellie Nomdo, Jenny Wilson

Sonia Roman (77) is preparing to move to a new home in Protea Village, which is more than just a housing scheme for her. Protea Village represents justice for the deep pain she has carried since childhood, when her family – along with an entire coloured community – was forcibly relocated by the apartheid government from their lush paradise next to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens to Heideveld, a barren township on the Cape Flats. Sixty years and several court cases later, claimants such as Sonia, Boy and Nellie have their land back. Together with their descendants, they are now moving to one of the most affluent suburbs in Cape Town, Bishopscourt. However, this means that Sonia and the others must navigate the complexities of a single land claim shared among multiple family members. The high property taxes in Bishopscourt present another challenge. Will they be able to afford spending their final years there?

Producer: Mia Cilliers
Production Company: Reel Epics
Director: Mia Cilliers
Editor: Roxanne Dalton
Cinematographer: Gray Kotzé
Soundtrack/Original Score: Edward George King

The kykNET Silwerskerm Festival is a prestigious and proudly South African and Afrikaans film festival that has supported, empowered, and developed the local film industry for more than a decade. While a number of feature films from seasoned filmmakers make their world debut or South African premiere at this prestigious event, the festival is also a showcase for emerging talent: a series of short films, produced under the festival’s banner with the necessary mentorship, annually shine a spotlight on their craft.
The Film Festival proudly presents 6 short films from up-and-coming filmmakers, 4 short films from established filmmakers, and 5 short documentaries from the 2026 kykNET Silwerskerm Festival programme. More detailed information about the short films is available on our website. These short films were produced under the mentorship of kykNET and M-Net and premiered at the 2026 kykNET Silwerskerm Festival in Camps Bay.