First Published in
Directed by Revel John Fox and starring Marcel van Heerden, Ian van der Heyden, Craig Palm and Kim Engelbrecht, The Flyer is an uplifting story about a young coloured kid saved from the merciless streets of Cape Town by an old Trapeze great, and introduced to a gravity-defying world of trapeze flying. But the flybar between success and failure swings in the balance as his past and present collide to dramatic effects.
The Flyer is the heartwarming story of a young street kid who discovers a passion that will change his life forever. Kieren Jordaan is up to no good with his delinquent gang buddies when destiny intervenes. While trying to pick pocket an old trapeze trainer, Anders Larsen, athletic Kieren gets caught and dragged back to a warehouse where Anders makes him work off his crime.
Kieren scrubs and polishes the floors as he watches Anders's trapeze artists fly. He observes them practice their intricate moves as they grace the sky and walk on air. His imagination has been captured. He has the right physical makeup to tackle this world and he has the passion of a true artist. Kieren pays off his debt, but does not want to leave. He wants in but he knows his gang friends would never approve. When something in the gang goes horribly wrong Kieren is forced to flee and it is here, in this world of the flyers, that he seeks refuge.
Under the guidance of his newfound mentor Anders, Kieren's raw talent takes flight.
"The story is a simple one of a boy's journey from the ghetto to a realisation of his true potential. It is also about the choices we have to make both in childhood and adulthood. What makes the film potentially unique, is that it is set around the world of Flying Trapeze, a world I was once part of," says director Revel Fox.
The Flyer - a triumphant tale of one boy who reaches beyond his place in the world to follow his heart's desire - premieres in Auditorium 2 at 20h00 on Friday 25 February 2005.
