EXCLUSIVE: Heading into Toronto Arsenal Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to the film about the South African punk rockers.
Yarek Danielak will start talks with buyers in Canada on what he described as the untold story of the influential South Africa-based punk band who continue to play today.
“This was probably one of the most difficult deals I have worked on but what kept me at the table was the importance of bringing this unique and powerful story to the world,” said Danielak. “The birth of man can be attributed to Africa and now so too can the birth of punk music.”
“We at Thread are very excited to bring this story to the world and are impressed by the passion and excitement shown by the team at Arsenal Films,” said producer Jon Savage, who negotiated the deal with Danielak.
Stone Cold Jane Austen lead singer Johnny Van Heroine said: “It’s unfortunate that rock and roll has become lame. Bands like Foo Fighters and Nickelback are an embarrassment to the punk revolution of the 70s and 80s that a lot of people died for [overdoses!] Thank god for us.”
The band’s bass player Karel Jacobs added: “I hope signing to Arsenal means a lot more to them than it does to us. We are a cultural revolution and they are the corporates who think they can own that and sell it? They can own a film about us but they will never own us.”
The mockumentary was inspired by what the producers called a notorious 2012 interview in which Van Heroine stormed out after accidentally punching his host in the mouth.
At the time the band leader said: “People ask us what it was like to be part of the underground Afrikaans punk revolution during the “Free Nelson Mandela” days. What they don’t understand is that we weren’t just a part of it. We were the whole ****ing revolution. Mandela should be thanking us.”
Sources said childhood friends Van Heroine and Jacobs formed the band in 2003 in Belville, South Africa.
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