WHAT would life be like should you wake up after being in a coma for 50 years?
In a film that unpacks storylines of ageism, love and friendship, writer/director William Collinson’s latest award-winning film, Mr Johnson, opened on DStv BoxOffice last week.
The film, which stars Paul Slabolepszy, Jana Cilliers, Graham Hopkins, Frank Rautenbach and Jailoshini Naidoo, released locally following its successful local and international film festival tour.
It has racked up a number of awards, including Best Feature Film (The Lonely Wolf: London International Film Festival and The Global Nonviolent Film Festival) and Best Actor – Feature Film (Paul Slabolepszy) at The Global Nonviolent Film Festival.
According to the plot, David Johnson (Slabolepszy) awakes from a 50-year coma at the age of 76. He has a hard time accepting his old body, the fact that he has lost more than half of his life, and the modern world he now must adjust to.
Frustrated and angry, he finally embraces the abrupt loneliness by consolidating his entire life into the one important romantic relationship he left behind, and he tracks down his college sweetheart, Halina McCarthy.
Naidoo said Mr Johnson was a thought provoking story that gave viewers a glimpse into how frail we are as human beings – particularly in the face of loneliness and despair.
“It deals with the propensity to create our own circumstances to help us cope with, or escape, solitude. How embracing love can give even the most desperate beings something worth living for. The film is really about one question: life itself, our purpose. I think it’s a story that will touch any audience. It forces us to question, re-think, reassess and re-evaluate our lives.
“Loneliness, particularly now, has become the new normal. Now more than ever we can all identify with the feeling of solitude and despair. I think it’s a story that most people will be able to connect with in different ways. It’s a story of second chances, hope, resilience and the triumph of the human spirit.”
Naidoo said it was these very aspects of the story and the way it was put together that had likely contributed to its success at film festivals.
“It’s a human story; one that every human being can relate to and connect with. It forces one to look within and question more. It forces one into understanding the worthiness of life and love.
“Outside of it being a beautiful story, the film is, at times, poignant, heart wrenching, sad, warm, heart-warming, funny, and hopeful. It really takes the audience on a journey that is in turn entertaining, yet thought provoking.
“It’s a great story, brilliantly written and directed by the phenomenal William Collinson. There are brilliant performances from a fabulous cast and beautiful cinematography. It is a story that will force the audience to dig deeper within and rethink life and love.”
Naidoo plays Dr Priya Moonsamy, a psychologist, who helps Mr Johnson mentally and emotionally as he comes out of an almost 50 year coma.
“He’s lost more than half of his life. His body looks like someone else’s. He’s lost most of his family and the modern world is totally alien to him and everything he knew.
“He might have woken up physically but the changes are bound to be a shock to his system as he tries to understand, comprehend and just cope with the feeling of utter despair and frustration combined with an immense loneliness. His emotional frailty could be the greatest setback.
“My job as his psychologist is to prepare him, nurture him and help him cope and fit in, into this strange, new world where nothing is familiar. Without this emotional support and assistance he could die.”
She said she had always been a fan of Slabolepszy.
“I’ve watched him in awe on stage and screen since I was very young and it was really such a privilege to work with him. He’s an absolute joy to work with. He’s warm, funny, super talented, authentic, very present, focused and committed to his craft. He is also an amazing human being with great humility. He is very down to earth and easy to connect with. It was awesome to watch him during this process. It was a great learning experience.”
Mr Johnson also stars Carla Classen, Marinus Gubitz, Mila Guy, Sisanda Henna, Drikus Volschenk, Antony Coleman, Heike Brunner and Clayton Boyd.
In a comment shared on the Mr Johnson Facebook Page, writer/director, Collinson said: "Even in the most serious moments of life, there is comedy – even if we’re only able to appreciate it in retrospect.
“Mr Johnson’s tragedy is that he has missed out on the better part of his life and, suddenly in old age, has to negotiate a whole new world.
“He is like a fish out of water and therein lies a lot of comedy … Mr Johnson came to me when I was going through an existential crisis and suddenly became aware of my own mortality.”
* You can rent the film on DStv Box Office.