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Don't Be Late for My Funeral
Don’t Be Late For My Funeral
South Africa | 2023 | 53 min | Documentary
Director: Diana Keam
Screenplay: Diana Keam
Cinematography: Wayne de Lange, Warren Smart
Synopsis
A filmmaker travels to a small rural town to visit her retired nanny and domestic worker, Margaret Bogopa Matlala. Set against South Africa’s backdrop of change, the film explores the two women's friendship and life-long connection that flourished despite the barriers placed between their families. Margaret was forced to leave her own family behind, to care for another, a sacrifice made out of the necessity to survive and provide. This personal yet universal tale of love and loss exposes the often painful realities of life behind closed doors.
About the director
Diana Keam is the oldest of seven children. Her life was dramatically impacted by growing up in South Africa. She began her life on her nanny’s back while her mother was at work as a teacher. Her parents separated when she was ten. The stepfather who then joined her family was physically and emotionally violent with her mother. Margaret was the emotional stability and constant in Diana’s and her mother’s life, and because of this Diana feels she was less scared than she might have been. The trauma prompted a lifetime of seeking, healing, and compassion for others in pain. She began working in the film industry in her early twenties after studying English and Drama at Rhodes University and has worked across most mediums as an AD, Producer, and Director. Today she co-owns a boutique Production company, Silver Bullet Films.