Jans Rautenbach

Jans Rautenbach (1936-2016) was a South African screenwriter, film producer and director.

Biography

Born Jansen Delorosa Rautenbach in Boksburg, South Africa on 22 February, 1936.

Originally trained as a clinical psychologist.

In later years he and his wife ran a guest house named 'Oulap' in De Rust, Western Cape, South Africa.

He passed away in Mossel Bay on 2 November, 2016, leaving his wife and four children.

His contributions to South African Theatre, Film and Media

He began his career in the film industry working for Jamie Uys Film Productions

He had an acting role as a bar patron in Emil Nofal's Kimberley Jim (1963), a film in which he was also the assistant director. (1963)

Other functions include unit manager on Dingaka (1964) and production assistant on Debbie (1965).

When Emil Nofal and Jamie Uys parted company, Nofal started his own production company with Rautenbach and thus began what could be considered South Africa's golden age of cinema, with the partners releasing King Hendrik (1965), Wild Season (1967), Die kandidaat (1968) and Katrina (1969).

Other feature films that followed for various companies include: Jannie Totsiens (1970), Pappalap (1971), Ongewenste Vreemdeling (1974), Eendag Op 'n Reëndag (1976), My Way II (1977), Blink Stefaans (1981), Broer Matie (1984), Niemand weint für immer (1984; No One Cries Forever, 1985), and finally Abraham (2014).