ROLE
Creative Director/Filmmaker
SERVICES
-
Creative Direction
-
Direction + Cinematography
-
Editing
-
Photography
The Commission
Abdullah Ibrahim commissioned this film to bring one of his poems to life on screen, “Water From An Ancient Well,” written and recited in his own voice. The piece became a meditation on presence, memory, and land, anchored entirely by Abdullah’s voice and the landscapes that shaped him.
The Journey
Before a single frame was shot, there was a drive, Cape Town to Kenhardt, deep into the Northern Cape. Abdullah set one rule before we left: no pictures. He wanted me present, not observing, fully in the moment rather than behind a lens.
For hours, I simply listened. Stories of him and Winnie Mandela. His philosophies on music, on life, on time itself. It was an experience closer to fiction than reality, the kind of moment you can’t manufacture, only receive. Through him, I saw a part of South Africa I may never have encountered otherwise.
In Memory
Abdullah Ibrahim passed away in 2026. This film, commissioned by him, carried by his words, spoken in his own voice — stands as a tribute to a man who shaped South African music and culture, and who gave me a story I’ll carry for the rest of my life.
