Producer and director Diana Keim's film Don't Be Late for My Funeral is a masterful piece of filmmaking that unravels the deepest emotions.
Very few directors, producers, or cast members get emotional during interviews. It doesn't mean anything other than a contagious passion.
Don't Be Late For My Funeral producer, director, and performer Diana Keim has poured six decades of her life and three generations of her family into this documentary.
This is a different movie than other South Africans watch. Keim's work is a deeply personal exploration of love, sacrifice, and the shared history of two families, one black and one white, set against the backdrop of South African apartheid. I'm not woke and I'm not trying to make a political statement. Instead, Keim has created a masterpiece of storytelling. It's more than just solid filmmaking. please don't be late for my funeral It touches my bones.
A movie that touches your bones
The story centers on Margaret Bogopa Matlala, a domestic worker who became part of the Keem family and raised three generations. Keim said her life was defined by resilience, love and quiet strength. The documentary shows Margaret's influence on the Keene family, not as an employer, but as a more intimate role player.
“Margaret was more than just a nanny,” Keim says. “She was family. She supported us literally and emotionally throughout her life, even though her own family needed her just as much,” she said. He added that this irrefutable kindness is why he never sees racial divisions, especially when it comes to children. “I don't think there are any bad kids, Margaret used to say,” Keim said. “She said everyone was nice. Black or white.”
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As a young child, Margaret had only sporadic schooling and farmed cattle. Eventually, she moved to Johannesburg in search of work. “At the time, her choices were to become a nurse or a domestic worker,” Keene said. She chose the latter. ” Margaret became a second mother to Keem and his siblings. But it came at a price. Because she cared for Cairme's children so diligently, her descendants were left to fend for themselves. It's this reality that Keim struggles to come to terms with, and the documentary doesn't shy away from the inconvenient truths of privilege. “The benefits we received came at a huge personal cost to her family.”
heightened emotions
This dissonance is a central theme of the film, she said, and the invisible sacrifices that sustained many white South African families during apartheid. Keim was deeply moved by her experience and remains visibly moved by the pieces of the puzzle that make up her life. Margaret was a big part of it, and heightened emotions often punctuated Keim's sentences in conversations about the film and its subject matter.
Keim said it took several years to finance the film, which was ultimately paid for largely out of pocket. Having spent much of her career in the film industry as an assistant director, taking on a key role in documentary production from on-screen to behind-the-scenes was a demanding but rewarding job.
Margaret may have passed away in 2021, but she remains throughout the film, just as she remains indelible in Keim's heart. This is frankly not just a documentary about the relationship between the Keem family and their domestic workers, but also a broader story of South African history. Women like Margaret were the breadwinners of many families. The film also pays homage to Margaret's own family. Her grandchildren, who have careers in the film industry and modeling, attest to the opportunities Margaret never had. “Her grandchildren are thriving,” Keim recalls. “This is a reminder of how far we have come since apartheid, but it is also a reflection of how much still needs to change.”
We've come a long way since apartheid
Keim said Margaret's family welcomed the production, but there was some resistance from them because it could expose old wounds, including her sister's suicide.
Keim said that when audiences view her work, she not only wants them to feel love, but also emotion. “Whatever your problem is, somehow the movie taps into it. Let me give you an example. A young man who watched the movie said that his sister had tried to commit suicide, but he didn't want to watch the movie. told me that he liked it.
“And I said to him, 'How did it save you to know that I had a sister who committed suicide?' He said it showed him he wasn't alone. Said. That was a huge thing for me because there's something about this movie that helps people face their grief, realize they're not alone, and change the way they see each other. ”
This realization can be the basis for changing your approach to relationships. Add meaning. The title of Keim's Intimate Dissection of Relationships comes from a moment between her and Margaret at Keim's mother's funeral. “Margaret turned to me and said, “Don't be late for my funeral.''
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