Invictus will be released in South Africa on 11 December 2009. Critics are already pitching it as a serious Academy Awards contender, especially as this is the first time since 2004 that director Clint Eastwood (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby) will have only one film in the Oscar race.

Invictus stars Oscar winners Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) and Matt Damon (Bourne) as iconic South African president Nelson Mandela and World Cup winning rugby captain Francois Pienaar respectively. Written by South African Anthony Peckham (Sherlock Holmes) and executive produced by South African Gary Barber (Wanted), Invictus is the ultimate underdog story of how our newly elected president joined forces with the captain of our rugby team to help unite the country during the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

By all accounts, Invictus was the most enjoyable Moonlighting shoot yet, with refreshingly short working hours on a production that wrapped a week ahead of schedule. Moonlighting’s Genevieve Hofmeyr says, “It was really inspiring to witness and participate in Clint’s incredibly efficient film set. He’s always calm, focused and quiet... I learnt that with this kind of focus and experience, it is in fact possible to get a performance in one or two takes and wrap before lunch.”

Not that Invictus didn’t have its challenges, like obtaining permission to film at the Union Buildings or processing 25 000 extras in the stadiums.

If the South Africans were in awe of Clint, producer Lori Mc-Creary was equally complimentary about the local film industry. “We scouted South Africa in 1992 for our film Bopha! and we were quite impressed by the glorious landscapes and beautiful architecture, especially some of the national buildings. Unfortunately political conditions prevented us from shooting in South Africa, so we ended up shooting that film in Zimbabwe. So for us on this film, there was no question about shooting in South Africa. The Department of Trade and Industry’s incentive program, while not as rich as some in other countries, was a nice benefit, not to mention the exchange rate.” Lori singled out the South African crew for special praise. “The crew are amazing. They have incredible skills and abilities in their own department and a unique understanding of most other departments, as most have been trained in multiple areas, which is rare to find in the US.”

Genevieve says she was incredibly proud of how well the South Africans fitted in with Clint’s regular behind-the-scenes creative team, which was led by Oscar-nominated director of photography Tom Stern, Oscar-nominated production designer James J. Murakami, Oscar-winning editor Joel Cox, and Emmy-winning costume designer Deborah Hopper, all of whom most recently worked with the director on Gran Torino.

“A film like this just raises the bar and the South African crew really stepped up,” Genevieve says. Lori was also impressed by our actors, who she called “worldclass,” adding, “Of our 70 roles, we cast 63 South African actors.” These included Tony Kgoroge (Skin), Patrick Mofokeng (Master Harold... and the Boys), Bonnie Henna (Catch a Fire, The Philanthropist), Langley Kirkwood (Generation Kill), and Robert Hobbs (District 9).

Invictus was shot entirely on location in and around Johannesburg and Cape Town. When asked how South Africa could improve as a destination, Lori said, “There is definitely room for bigger film studio space, with higher ceilings, closer to town and accommodation. But other than that, this is one of the most exciting places on earth to shoot.” Invictus is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Originally titled The Human Factor, the new name comes from a poem by William Ernest Henley which was often quoted by Madiba.

The film is adapted from John Carlin’s book, Playing the Enemy. Genevieve speaks for many in the industry when she says, “Invictus was a real highlight of my career. I’m really looking forward to seeing it for the first time at the South African premiere.”

At the time of the writing, the trailer here was the most watched clip on our site.

Kevin Kriedemann