Living On A Film Set

With incredible natural beauty, Port St Johns and the Wild Coast is becoming a regular with filmmakers.

Recent films made here include Three Needles, starring Chloe Sauvigney, Ian Roberts, Olympia Dukakis, and Sandra O. The Dutch child soldier movie, Wit Licht (White Light) was filmed here in 2008, as was the story of Nobel Prize winner Dr Albert Shweitzer. For the Shweitzer movie, Port St Johns became the jungles of Gabon. In 2009, the local production, Themba, the story of a young football player was made here. Older movies include ‘Shout at the Devil” starring Roger Moore, ‘River of Death’, starring Michael Dudikoff; and other French and German productions. TV series, such as ‘The Philanthropist’ and adverts are regularly shot here. The airstrip on top of Mount Thesiger was used in ‘Blood Diamond’ which starred Leonardo DiCaprrio.

Jandre shares stories of being a fixer to John Cleese recently, whilst Steve tells how Jonny Rotten badmouths Roger Moore for refusing to help push his broken 4WD out of the mud. Rotten also lost the plot with Hollywood director Michael Dudikoff, who received a very bloody nose. The locals can certainly get feisty.

Bill Decker is a local celebrity and political activist who spent several years as a cave-dweller up the coast from Amapondo. His cave days might be over now, but he now lives in his beautiful cottage close by.