by Thinus Ferreira
Principal photography has started on Imran Hamdulay's Pieces starring Kim Engelbrecht.
Pieces, a family drama written and directed by the award-winning South African filmmaker of The Heart is a Muscle, has started filming at various locations in Cape Town and will wrap in November.
Pieces stars Kim Engelbrecht, currently on screen in the new Scene23 drama series, Invisible on M-Net (Dstv 101), Keenan Arrison, Cedwyn Joel, as well as Asher Jacobs and Tazwill Spogter.
Told through the perspective of two young brothers, Pieces follows a family at a moment of change as their mother prepares to remarry and leave the home in which they were raised.
"As the boys begin to understand the father they lost in different ways, the film explores childhood and memory, and what we inherit from the people we love," the production says.
Imran Hamdulay explains that Pieces "is a simple story about two boys trying to understand their father, their family, and the world that is changing around them".
"It's a film about loss, but it's funny in places, sad in others, and always kind to its characters. We have an incredible cast and crew around the film, and it's been a real joy making it together."
Pieces is the first in a slate of 5 micro-budget films funded by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and is produced by Adam Thal and Casey Diepeveen of The Star Film Company, with Pierre de Villiers as cinematographer.
The production design of Pieces is by Tirath Bhoola, with Paul Speirs as editor.
Pieces is scheduled to premiere in 2027 and has secured South African distribution through Indigenous Film Distribution and Development.
Shadrack Bokaba, NFVF CEO, says "The NFVF is committed to promoting and developing the South African film industry, increasing the number of South African films produced, and promoting social cohesion by giving our nation's diverse stories a platform through film".
"Pieces is a wonderful example of that mission in action - a deeply felt South African story from a gifted filmmaker, and we are delighted to support it."
The Heart as a Muscle, Imran Hamdulay's debut feature premiered at the 2025 Berlinale, where it won the Ecumenical Jury Prize and went on to win Best Feature at the 2025 kykNET Silwerskermfees film festival.
The film was selected as South Africa's submission for Best Foreign Language Film for last year's 98th Academy Awards.
