Former Knysna journalist makes Knysna proud

Update

KNYSNA NEWS - The multi-award-winning book Vaselinetjie is now also an award-winning film after it was named best movie of the year at the kykNET-Silwerskerm Awards on Saturday evening.

Vaselinetjie was written by Anoeschka von Meck, a former Knysna-Plett Herald (KPH) journalist, who has raked in numerous journalism awards during her career.

Von Meck worked at the Knysna office until December 2014 after moving from its sister publication, George Herald, which she joined in 2010. Before that, she worked as a senior reporter at Rapport in Cape Town. Von Meck is originally from Henties Bay in Namibia.

Vaselinetjie, now in its 23rd print, was first published in Afrikaans in 2004 and the English translation, My Name is Vaselinetjie, was published in 2009.

Knysna High learners enjoyed the visit. Photos: Stefan Goosen

Among the literary awards Von Meck received for Vaselinetjie is the Rapport/Jan Rabie Prize for fresh, new literary voices in Afrikaans 2005; the MER Prize for Youth Literature 2005; and the M-Net Prize for an Afrikaans text in short format.

Many accolades
In 2006, Vaselinetjie appeared on the IBBY Honour Roll, and in 2010 it was staged at the Suidoosterfees in Cape Town as well as the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees in Oudtshoorn. The IBBY Honour Roll secured Vaselinetjie a place in an international travelling library of the best youth fiction in the world – a huge achievement for an Afrikaans novel.

Von Meck says she went into total shock when Vaselinetjie was named best feature film of the year at the Silwerskerm Awards.

"I think that I flatlined in a type of inner hysteria. The film team and I had arrived with the hope of winning something, but as the evening progressed it became clear who the favourites were – and we were nowhere to be seen.

"My mom (Gusta de Kock) was beginning to whisper things like 'It's not all about winning, you should focus on what an extreme honour it is just to see your book come alive on screen', and I just wanted to go home. As far as I was concerned the moment had passed us by.

We were already at the end of the evening listening to speeches and sponsors, when they suddenly said there is a final category. I still choke up when I think about it! When I heard those words 'And the winner is ... Vaselinejie!' I went into shock. Total shock! I was sobbing so hard people were offering me tissues," Von Meck recalls, adding that she had to interrupt her sobbing to speak in front of the cameras.

Von Meck has only praise for the director of the movie, Corné van Rooyen.

Vaselinetjie lead actress Marguerite van Eeden and director Corné van Rooyen took time out for a selfie with the students of Knysna High School during their visit on Monday 28 August. Photo: Stefan Goosen

Poetically beautiful movie
"Corné made a poetically beautiful movie. I believe it was divine guidance that led him to choose a theme that will certainly stir at the heart of where South African children and adults have been wounded in their souls. It is my sincere prayer that this film will be experienced like an embrace from the Father. He wants to welcome South Africa into His arms to heal and restore our true identity," she says.

Apart from Vaselinetjie, Von Meck is also the author of Annerkant die Longdrop, 1998 and Essie Honiball – Die Ontwaking, 2010.

Van Rooyen and lead actress Marguerite van Eeden paid a visit to Knysna High School on Monday 28 August to promote their new film, which will open in theatres on 22 September.

Van Rooyen said one of the main reasons they came to Knysna was not only because of Von Meck's connection to the town, but also because "you can't just make a movie and expect people to go watch it".

"We need to create an audience for the movie and therefore need to travel as far and wide as possible to do so. The first week a movie is shown is usually the most important and will determine how long it plays at cinemas. Coming to Knysna all the way from Cape Town was definitely worth it," he said.

Vaselinetjie tells the story of Helena "Vaselinetjie" Bosman, played by Van Eeden.

In the early '90s this little white girl is raised by her loving coloured grandparents in a far-off little town in the Northern Cape. When welfare services find out Vaselinetjie is not their biological grandchild, they intervene and send her to a state-run facility in Johannesburg.