An 11-year-old boy, who lost his father to gang violence, has made a short film about the Cape Flats scourge.
Tristan Amerika says all he needed was his cellphone and a few friends to be actors to make his film called “Cycle of Violence (11 yr old boy Made This)” which can be viewed on YouTube.
“I just wanted to show that gang violence is stupid and there is no need to keep killing people for nothing,” he tells the Daily Voice.
“I shot the film with my phone and my friends were happy to help with the three-minute video.”
The Grade 7 learner of Protea Park Primary in Atlantis says he experienced violence at the age of four when he lost his father.
“My father was killed by a stray bullet from a gangster’s gun. I was told that the gangster was sent to shoot somewhere but he came to my home and killed my father,” Tristan says.
“I was inspired when I watched a video on YouTube that my neighbour made last year and I thought I could also do something to inspire my community and especially my peers. I want to be a filmmaker one day.”
In the three-minute video, laaities are gambling and another comes and starts a fight.
He then runs away, and the boys go and get guns and a new gang war begins.
Filmmaker Lynworth Mentoor says when his young neighbour approached him, the boy had already shot the video.
“I was impressed that he came up with the concept, I played no part in creating the film,” he explains.
“All I did was just edit and made it interesting and then posted it on my YouTube channel as he had requested of me.”
He adds: “Growing up in Dura Flats, you get exposed to gang violence daily. On Sunday there was a shooting and there were kids who were at the scene.
“The difference here is that Tristan decided to do something.
“He stands a good chance of getting out of the violence and making something for himself.
“Many of us at his age were standing on the corners and were not thinking about our futures.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za