Bunny Chow: Know Thyself

Most movies made regarding South Africa all centre on the old themes: Apartheid, HIV/AIDS, poverty, the African condition, etc. Bunny Chow, on the other hand, is about absolutely none of these things. It is just a movie, and as in all good movies, theme is subservient to character. What it does show is a few case studies on the new generation of South Africans, who can speak openly about contentious issues such as race in an atmosphere of mutual acceptance an even fascination.

Most importantly, though, is that it is funny. Really funny. Some of the dialogue is absolutely hilarious. Another surprise is the cinematography. Every image and motion bursts with originality. Shot completely in black and white, this comedy has a seriousness that in the end turns Bunny Chow into a pleasure to consider.

I so wanted to believe in this movie after the only form of mainstream comedy this country recognises is slapstick and stereotypes.

Of course, it went completely the other way - let's be cool and edgy - and came out the other side with little to show for it. I bet One Small Seed went nuts for this. I know SL did.

None of the main characters have the comedic chops to pull it off. Even Danny K had better timing. I'm actually being serious. Every time they introduced a bit character I kept thinking, "Darn, this person should have been the lead!".

Independent doesn't mean that the camera work needs to be horrible. Black and white did nothing for this movie - actually with such flat dialogue it hurt this even more by bringing the boredom into sharp relief. The black and white also wasn't crisp. The composition was horrible. The use of music was horrible. Strangely enough I watched Little Miss Sunshine after this movie and the composition on that was superb - maybe that's why the deficiencies in this movie stick out in my mind.

I think Corne (who was funnier than the leads before he even said anything) was speaking to this movie and not David - see it and you'll understand. I bet the guys who organise Oppikoppi were dismayed. One would think nothing happens there at all. I got the feeling it could have been filmed in someone's back garden. I know regular guys who have much funnier, raunchier and wittier conversations than any of these "comics". The dude who they hooked up with end was OK though.

Guess SA comedy's gonna stay in the stone age a little longer. Nice work guys.

Most movies made regarding South Africa all centre on the old themes: Apartheid, HIV/AIDS, poverty, the African condition, etc. Bunny Chow, on the other hand, is about absolutely none of these things. It is just a movie, and as in all good movies, theme is subservient to character. What it does show is a few case studies on the new generation of South Africans, who can speak openly about contentious issues such as race in an atmosphere of mutual acceptance an even fascination.

Most importantly, though, is that it is funny. Really funny. Some of the dialogue is absolutely hilarious. Another surprise is the cinematography. Every image and motion bursts with originality. Shot completely in black and white, this comedy has a seriousness that in the end turns Bunny Chow into a pleasure to consider

Bunny chow is a film released in 2006 which was filmed by John Barker partnered by MTV. Its a nice fim of four friends who went on a journey over a weekend hoping to have a wild time with girls and alcohol. The film has English , afrikaans and tsotsi taal. Bunny chow know thyself follows the often ridiculous weekend journey of four dysfunctional stand up comedians, who embark on a trip to oppikoppi, south africa biggest annual rock festival. The four set out to perform stand up comedy but get a bit more than they bargained. It has like of our kagisi ledigab, Angela chow, Salah sabiti and the David kau.

I totally agree with the review by a reviewer of Variety that the film is never quite as funny, lively or insightful about the creative process as its premise would seem to warrant. Narratively it is messy and the lighting is really problematic. If the film is supposed to be character-driven the poor lighting doesn't enhance the acting and it is sometimes difficult to observe the facial expressions of the actors. Many non-South Africans will have difficulty in following the spoken English in the film and some of the local humor will be lost in the process. I watched the film at the Cape Town World Cinema festival last year. Comments and reactions to the film ranged from unwatchable and sloppy to a welcome departure from the films about our painful past. Unfortunately Bunny Chow won't be remembered as one of the bright lights of the South African New Wave, but some of the remarkable films about our apartheid history will indeed be rated among our best in our 110 year old film history. Not surprisingly the film disappeared from cinemas in Cape Town only two weeks after its release and from most of the cinemas in Durban and Gauteng. It has clearly limited appeal among South African audiences.