My Broer se Bril

Screening Details

Running Time: 97 min. (Colour) / Copyright Date: unknown / Release Date: 10 June 1972 / Language: Afrikaans / Genre: Thriller / Alternative Title: none.

Synopsis

Following the death of his father, Paul van der Byl secretly returns to the country estate from which he was banished many years before. There he confronts his twin brother, Adriaan, whom he blinded when they were boys, an event that was responsible for his estrangement from the family. Adriaan rightly suspects that Paul has returned to get his share of the fortune their father has left and is not about to share it. During their confrontation a shot rings out and one of the brothers ends up dead. But which one? Others who feature in the subsequent mystery and revelations are Adriaan’s wife Marie, his man servant Freddie, the brothers’ Aunt Emily, her son Errol and a suspicious police sergeant. The film ends with the long-awaited reading of the will, which contains an unpleasant surprise for the surviving brother.

Context

This early feature by Dirk de Villiers has been described as the first Afrikaans psychological thriller. It was based on a three-act play by de Villiers himself which was performed for RATO (Roodepoort-Amateurtoneelorganisasie) at the Library Theatre in Johannesburg on 25 April 1967. The cast included Peter Viljoen, Marie Pienaar, Neville Erasmus, Willie Pretorius, Dirk de Villiers and Cora Hutchings. It was de Villiers’s first full-length play and according to Filmverlede it won the ATKV Prize in 1967. Prior to that it had already had three performances on the West Rand. The film featured Dawie Malan in his first screen role.