The film premiered in Rotterdam earlier in 2026, where it won the Tiger Award, the festival's top prize that aims to recognise bold and innovative filmmaking. Following its international success, the film returned home to further recognition at the Joburg Film Festival, where it was awarded Best African Film, marking an achievement for the South African creative team behind the project, says the company.

The Northern Cape's Unsung Heroes

Directors and Writers, Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar are based in Namaqualand, where the film is set, and collaborate under the creative collective KRAAL.

Jacobs reflects on how the project is deeply personal. "The story grew from conversations with my grandmother Hettie and learning about the unsung heroes in our community who fought in the Second World War and their long wait for recognition."

Variations on a Theme centres on Hettie, an elderly goat herder in the Northern Cape whose life unfolds through a series of repeating moments and perspectives. The film explores themes of memory, resilience, waiting, loss and community. The film's unusual narrative structure revisits the same scenes multiple times, gradually revealing new layers of meaning.

A Story Told in Repeating Moments

"The way we wrote the film was quite unusual," says Delmar. "We took 35 shots and repeated them — the same angle, the same position — five times over five days. As the audience becomes familiar with the images, subtle shifts begin to emerge."

"What initially feels routine slowly becomes more discordant, gently unsettling the viewer and challenging their sense of narrative comfort. It reflects the cycles of violence that continue to repeat within the Northern Cape community," adds Delmar.

"Our process was very open and collaborative," Jacobs explains. "We allowed the story to emerge through conversations and discovery, almost like a theatre rehearsal process where you explore and learn as you go."

Shaping the Film's Visual Language

The film's distinctive visual language was further shaped in post-production through the grade by Abdul Ghakeem Samaai, Colourist at The Refinery. "It was a really interesting project to work on because the filmmakers wanted the film to feel authentic and grounded, but at the same time they were exploring a very specific visual language," says Samaai. "The challenge was to keep that sense of realism while still shaping a distinct look for the film."

"We worked with two different visual textures in the grade — one glossy and smooth, the other much grittier with deeper shadows — to create contrast and emotional intensity. The grade broke many of the conventional rules — blowing out highlights and crushing the blacks — which gave the film much more character and intensity," adds Samaai.

"I actually graded the film a year ago and that version struggled to get into any of the festivals. The directors knew that the potential was much bigger and they reworked it in a much more aggressive direction — adding VFX scenes, changing the audio and we completely reworked the grade which we completed in five days," says Samaai.

"Once we were done, the film went from reject to hero, becoming an international award winning piece. I just feel so honoured to have been a part of the journey — it's a very proud moment for us all," adds Samaai.

International and Local Recognition

"We've loved working with The Refinery and have developed a real shorthand with Abdul," says Delmar. "It never feels like work — it feels like doing something creative and exciting with friends. The reception in Rotterdam was incredible. People connected deeply with the language and the emotional core of the story."

"Winning the Tiger Award was a huge surprise. It's incredibly special to see a story rooted in our community resonate with audiences around the world. And then coming home to win in Joburg was just extra special on top of that," adds Jacobs.

What's Next

"Our KRAAL team is now working on our fourth project together with The Refinery," says Producer, Annemarie du Plessis.

"Our first collaboration was Carissa, which was nominated at the Venice Film Festival, followed by Variations on a Theme. We are currently completing two more projects to be released later this year: Al Wat Ek Weet and Uprooted, an immersive 360-degree VR Short that follows the life of a succulent from the plant's perspective, tracing the complex global journey of the illegal trade in endangered plants," concludes du Plessis.

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*Image courtesy of www.therefinery.tv