If you live in Cape Town you will see daily the effects of addiction on many who call the city home, but it isn’t often we see the harsh reality of such a life depicted on the big screen.

Then along came Tess, due to hit screens in February of next year, and one look at the trailer shows it isn’t going to gloss over any details.

Here’s the write-up from the YouTube trailer:

Based on award-winning book, Whiplash, Tess follows the story of a sassy twenty year-old prostitute on the streets of Cape Town. Hooked on painkillers to dull the pain of her rather grim existence, her life is turned upside down when she falls pregnant.

Despite her wry sense of humour, she is tormented by her past and starts to question her sanity. Fragile as she is at times, her fighting spirit kicks in, as she attempts to confront her demons and seek her truth.

If that sounds intense then hey, job done:

Director Meg Rickards spoke to CapeTalk:

“We wanted to use the the shooting style of documentary to the film so that it would feel naturalistic and organic.

It’s a story first and foremost. We wanted it to feel realistic, but it’s not meant to be a documentary or a advocacy film.”

I’m sure there are a few Muizenberg residents who will say it’s more than a little realistic.

We should also take this moment to congratulate everyone involved with Noem My Skollie, another local production that is South Africa’s official selection for the foreign film category at next year’s Oscars.

Here’s that trailer in case it slipped you by:

At least for the moment when it comes to movies, local seems to be lekker.

[sources:youtube&capetalk]