World Cup Final? No Problem.

It was quite convenient that the World Cup Final was played Saturday night, after the Triomf shoot, and before a nice day off on Sunday. Otherwise, the Benades family would have had to show up on set the next day looking drunk and disheveled, or just like their characters. No makeup required to cover up that hangover. Just start saying your lines, you'll be fine.

Here's the report, a day late and typed shakily, despite the delirium tremons, by Alex, our man in Jo'burg:

Day 23...
...started inauspiciously, with gray skies and heavy mist threatening to doom our planned shot list of exteriors. But as dawn gave way to morning, the sun burned through the clouds and gave us the kind of light we needed. The relief we all felt ensured an upbeat tone to the proceedings, with jokes and smiles giving us the stamina to complete what turned out to be a mammoth day.


A 6AM barbecue scene, complete with beers, wine and cocktails, might have looked strange to any passersby, but Coco Merckel and his fellow actors made it look like the most natural thing of the world. Of course, the day was largely overshadowed by the fact South Africa was playing England in the World Cup Final that evening.

In between takes, all the banter between cast and crew revolved around where and with whom they'd be watching the big match. In the end, it hardly mattered, as the Boks' victory ensured that mostly everyone eventually converged at the street party on Melville's main drag.

Good thing, then, that we got to enjoy Sunday off!