February 01, 2011 01:20PM EST

Sure-Footed Ponies: Where There is No Sunscreen

ENTRY 5: Where There is No Sunscreen
January 31, 2011—Johannesburg, South Africa
Sunscreen, infections, shepherds, and school choirs.
 
This week in Africa: A third round of auditions in Maseru, five more days of location scouting in the mountains, a return to Johannesburg, and TR in a hospital with an infection in his elbow. Since his mother is reading this, I feel obliged to immediately type in all caps: HE'S DOING JUST FINE. Just a gentle reminder that one must wash one's hands between using the bathroom and eating the parietal lobe of a sheep's brain.



The biblical rains we waited out in Semonkong were followed by a week of scorching sun and dry heat. Carefully rationing our last bottle of sunscreen (they do not seem to sell any here in Lesotho), we bounced around the country on a tour of upcoming shoot locations, seeking shady places at high noon to scratch out production notes, make lunch, and practice our Sesotho with benevolent and inquisitive strangers. We took one such break in a derelict schoolhouse, which we soon discovered was in close proximity to a very active schoolhouse when the principal strolled over and invited us to come listen to her middle-school singing group. Spontaneous VIP seats to our own African children's choir—not too shabby!

Watch the kids sing:



After they sang, we explained our film project to the principal, and told her of our ongoing search for Tau. In minutes, the ebullient schoolmistress wrangled her mob of young'uns into a lopsided circle, where she hastily auditioned them for us with an improvisational skit (something to do with an injured goat). After watching kids squeal as they watched video of themselves for the first time in their lives, we got back on the road and continued on our potholed journey of location scouting.
           


The downpours of January have eroded much of the dirt roads here in Lesotho. A drive that I remember as taking three hours back in 2007 now takes close to five. My truck Klaus Kinski has been taking so much abuse—if it endures this project through to the end, it will undoubtedly deserve an executive producer credit. Despite our snail's pace, there are some benefits to traveling like this. We've been able to spot some interesting location possibilities, and also secure props and wardrobe that we find along the way. Two roadside shepherds were all too happy to sell me a tattered old blanket and a homemade hat that looks right out of a Dr. Seuss book.


           
We're vigilant about staying under budget. On the road, we make it a sort of game to find the cheapest beds in town. This invariably leads us to simple yet surprisingly cozy accommodations—in places such as Catholic missions and agricultural training centers. Cecil, the proud Pedi, usually chooses to sleep in the back of the truck. Our staple diet has been "papa, nama, le moroho" (maize meal, meat, and spinach)—the Basotho standard that you can find on the street stalls for about two bucks a plate.  Africans are quite proud of their meat, which they'll shovel doubles of onto the plate of a guest (especially one trying to speak Sesotho). The uncommitted vegetarian in me longs to fall face first into a swimming pool of kale, sliced beets, and shitake mushrooms, but you won't catch me complaining just yet.           

Returning to the city of Maseru from our location reconnaissance, we conducted the final (well, almost final) callback auditions, which included seeing approximately 50 local actors, as well as 25 pint-sized thespians auditioning for the role of Tau. We've now narrowed it down to three finalists, and have given each kid a sizable chunk of dialogue to memorize between now and the final showdown, which will be on Sunday. Between now and then, we are operating out of Johannesburg, seeing the actors that Bonnie has brought in for the lead roles, as well as meeting with production designers, camera assistants, and sound engineers. We're also busy scheduling, working on the budget, and attending to the list of other glamorous things that come along with film production.
           


On Sunday, Cecil took us into a township outside of Pretoria, where we drank Castle lager on the street and took part in the communal feast of the aforementioned sheep's head. This brings me back to TR's arm infection, which began as an open wound, infected probably by contaminated water in Lesotho. He spent a few hours today attached to an IV drip at a hospital here in Joburg, but managed to work on the budget and make phone calls from his hospital bed. Now that is what I call dedication!  

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Want more Sure-Footed Ponies? Get caught up:

Sure-Footed Ponies: An Introduction
Sure-Footed Ponies: The Beginning
Sure-Footed Ponies: Return to Lesotho
Sure-Footed Ponies: Tortoise's Pace
Sure-Footed Ponies: Rain, Rain, Rising Rivers