This is my ‘I can’t believe I got to work with Brendan Fraser’ smile. It was such an honor learning and collaborating with a legend I admire. Directing on this international series has truly been surreal. The biggest co-production South Africa has seen to date. If anything I hope any kid out there who is a dreamer; never gives up on their faith. Can’t wait for the world to see what we been cooking. #InternationalSeries #Director #ThatTembisaBoy
10 years ago, on 14 February, Happiness Is A Four Letter Word premiered in cinemas.
A truly life changing moment for me. One I’ll always hold onto.
Here’s a look back at some moments from that magical night and from set.
Lately I’ve been reflecting on the process of making this film, right back to the early days of crewing up.
I remember the impact ‘Tsotsi’ had on me. Even after it won the Oscar, I found myself asking, who shot this film? I was deeply curious about the person behind the lens. I knew Happiness needed to be a commercially beautiful film, but and this is huge. It had to be rooted in the kind of honesty and texture that Tsotsi carried. Beauty without truth can feel hollow. I wanted the beauty in this film to be tangible. Something you could feel.
So when I was asked who I wanted to shoot it, my answer was simple. The person who shot Tsotsi.
And so the hunt began for Lance. “Oh, that’s his name,” lol I remember saying.
Around the time of our release, my brother Akin @akinesthetic had ‘Tell Me Sweet Something’ on circuit, starring Nomzamo Mbatha and Maps Maponyane. Back then, South African films didn’t get long runs. We were fighting for space, fighting for screens, fighting for seats. But Tell Me Sweet Something was shifting that narrative. The baton was being passed.
Akin’s words to me were simple and powerful. Make them see why our stories deserve to be on circuit.
And that’s how the hashtag #FillUpTheCinemas was born.
And the people came. In their numbers.
A special mention to Junaid Ahmed, one of the producers on the film. No longer with us, but never forgotten. I hope the entire cast and crew remain proud of this film. Sis B I love you.
Here’s to continuing to tell stories of love.
The world needs it.
We need it.
Ps. My Gogo loved this film. Both her eyes had been operated on and she could see everything in HD. ❤️ (that’s why she’s winking - last slide) 🤣🥰❤️☹️
A few troopers.
A shared vision.
Now, the magic unfolds. (No fruits were harmed in the making of this commercial).
An @____theoddnumber____ & @seriti.tv conversation.
@gstarraw_za pulled up on me.
This is the first of many firsts.
The first birthday without you.
And then the first Christmas. The first New Year’s.
But this first hurts the most.
Grizzly Bear.
I heard my laugh the loudest when I was with you.
’Cause that’s what besties do. 🐻 🖤 🍰
Anything worth doing is worth doing over, again and again, until it becomes truth.
Because every return, every rewrite, every scene we shoot twice, is a prayer for something real.09/25
I’m trying to figure things out without you.
Day by day, step by step, showing up where I have to, even when my heart stays behind with you.
You carry me in the spaces between breaths,
in the silence after my name is called.
I miss you in ways words can’t hold,
yet somehow, you’re still here
in the light through the window,
in the warmth of a stranger’s smile,
in the courage it takes to keep going. 🕊️❤️
A Letter to My Grandmother
My dearest Grandmother,
My biggest fan. My fiercest protector. My forever Valentine. My Queen of Hearts.
Today, we lay you to rest, and with you, a part of my heart. The world feels quieter now. The warmth of your presence, your voice, your prayers, all of it echoes in the silence. My roots tremble because my tree has fallen.
You were the heartbeat of our family, the one who showed us how to love deeply and fearlessly. You taught us that love wasn’t just something we felt; it was something we lived. And above all, you taught us to walk with God, not just in words, but in the way we carried ourselves, in how we prayed, how we forgave, how we stood strong.
You covered us in prayer every day. I felt it in my spirit. You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Your legacy of faith, grace, and unwavering love will never leave me.
I miss you already in ways I can’t explain.
Rest well, my Queen. Until we meet again.
(1931-2025) 🕊️❤️❤️❤️
