Jagveld

Jagveld is an action film by Byron Davis

Known as Hunting Emma in the English version.

The film

The film is about mild junior schoolteacher on her way home to the family farm in the Karoo, when she witnesses six violent drug dealers brutally killing a policeman . The killers then set off to hunt her like an animal in that barren landscape, mistakenly thinking she would be easy prey.

The script was written by Deon Meyer (based on an original story by Meyer) and directed by Byron Davis, with Leandie du Randt Bosch (as "Emma"), Neels van Jaarsveld, Tim Theron, Bouwer Bosch, Edwin van der Walt, Danie Putter, Luan Jacobs, Tertius Meintjes, Drikus Volschenk, Albert Maritz, Lee-Ann van Rooi, Beulah van den Heever, Nicole du Toit, Hasna van Wyk, Chanel van Heever.

The film produced by the Karoo Film Company, with music composed by Byron Davis, Schalk Joubert and Tim Rankin, cinematography by William Collinson, editing by Byron Davis, production design by Pieter Bosman and costume design by Chanel Davis.

Released as Jagveld in Afrikaans with English subtitles in theatres in South Africa by Times Media Films (2017) and in English as Hunting Emma the United States by Red Hound Films (2018). Released on DVD by AMG Entertainment and Amazing D.C. (Japan, 2018)

Winner of the Jury Prize for Best Film at the Woods Hole Film Festival (2017).

Translations, adaptations, sequels, etc

The Afrikaans script of the film was published in Jagveld en Ander Draaiboeke ("Jagveld and other scripts") by Human & Rousseau Publishers in March 2017. (A collection of Deon Meyer's film scripts, also including Jakhalsdans, Die Laaste Tango, Die ballade van Robbie de Wee)