Oliver Hermanus
| Oliver Hermanus | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983 Cape Town, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Occupation | Film director, writer |
| Years active | 2009-present |
| Notable work | Shirley Adams, Beauty (Skoonheid), The Endless River |
Oliver Hermanus (born 1983, Cape Town, South Africa) is a South African film director and writer. His films include Shirley Adams (2009), Beauty (Skoonheid) (2011), and The Endless River (2015). His film Beauty won the Queer Palm Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
Hermanus was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and holds a BA in Film, Media, and Visual Studies from the University of Cape Town. He initially worked as a press photographer for the Cape Argus newspaper. In 2006, Hermanus received a private scholarship to attend the London Film School, where he earned his master's degree in film.
Hermanus's first film, Shirley Adams, released in 2009, relates the story of a single mother raising her paraplegic son, who was injured during a gang fight. Hermanus has stated that he got the idea for the film from his sister, an occupational therapist, who told him the story of a teenage boy paralysed in a shooting incident.
Shirley Adams premiered at the Durban International Film Festival in 2009 where the film received awards for Best South African Film, Best First Film, and Best Actress for Denise Newman. The film was shown in competition at the Locarno Film Festival and was also shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film also won awards for Best Film and Best Director at the 2009 South African Film and Television Awards.
Beauty (known as Skoonheid in Afrikaans) was the fifth South African movie to be selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival and the first in Afrikaans. The film won the 2011 Queer Palm Award for best picture, and Hermanus won the 2012 South African Film and Television Award (SAFTA) for Best Director. Lead actor Deon Lotz won the 2012 SAFTA for Best Actor in a Feature Film for his role in Beauty, as well as Best Actor at the Zurich Film Festival.Beauty was also part of the Official Selection 2011 for the Prize Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival.
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