PBHSOB ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

Dear Old Boy

Jarryd Coetsee attended Pretoria Boys High School from 1996-2000 and was in Armstrong House.

Now a writer and film-maker, his short film adaptation of the acclaimed short story “The Suit” by crusading journalist and leading light of the Drum generation Can Themba has recently been selected for the Urbanworld Film Festival which takes place in New York City in September and is a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards, which means that if the film is chosen as the best short film, it will be considered for nomination for the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film. “The Suit” is set in 1950s Sophiatown and tells the story of a man who forces his wife to treat her lover’s suit as if it were a person. Though ostensibly about infidelity, the film offers a more substantial comment on the forced removals of the time. The film stars Naledi Theatre Award-winner Atandwa Kani and his father, South African acting legend and Tony Award-winner John Kani as well as newcomer Phuthi Nakene.

“I first read ‘The Suit’ when I was fifteen, in Mrs Donaldson’s English class, because it was required reading, and it had an immense transformative effect on me. I knew then that one day I would adapt it into a film. With ‘The Suit’, I wanted to convey a sense of the impact of oppression on personal relationships. In South Africa, we tend to engage our past in a primarily intellectual way and many people lack a deep emotional understanding of the forced removals, and other examples of tyranny, which makes it difficult to resolve contemporary societal problems. That is where Can Themba’s ‘The Suit’ is so powerful in bringing across that dysfunction on a profoundly human level. Also, I was attracted to the trope of the oppressed becoming the oppressor which is an ever-present danger in many parts of the world and is explored in ‘The Suit’ through the metaphors of adultery and concomitant sadistic retribution. In many ways, ‘The Suit’ is perhaps more relevant today than when it was published in the 1960s.”

The film held its African premiere at the Old Fort of Zanzibar in July as part of what is currently the biggest film festival in Africa, the Zanzibar International Film Festival, where although it was not in the official competition, the jury gave it a Special Mention. It showed out of competition at the Durban International Film Festival in June.

“The Suit” has also been selected in competition for the Africa in Motion – Scotland African Film Festival which takes place in Edinburgh and Glasgow in October, the Shnit International Short Film Festival which is headquartered in Switzerland and takes place in eight cities simultaneously across the globe in October, and Îles-Courts – the Mauritius International Short Film Festival also in October.

At school, I was quite outspoken, unconventional and, due to my upbringing in a poor neighbourhood, quite ‘voor op die wa’ as they say in Afrikaans; whereas some people attempted to stifle me, he taught me that that is OK.

A short story that I wrote under his guidance led to me winning the South African Council for English Education’s Junior Prose Award when I was seventeen. I also had work published in the Poetry Institute of Africa’s annual anthology.” But by far, Jarryd’s biggest passion at school was drama.

“Armstrong House allowed me to write and direct our house’s submission to the Inter-House Play Festival when I was fifteen which was quite unusual because that was a ‘right’ usually reserved for matrics. The plays which I wrote, staged and acted in at the school subsequently were rather awful but offered a steep learning curve.

We spent hours (often literally) falling flat on our faces in rehearsals. Though I’d been involved with drama since primary school and had always known that I would pursue a related career, my desire was crystallised at Boys High every time I gazed out over the footlights.

In matric, the school gave me Cultural Colours for Drama. At school, I used to organise parties by booking out various scouts’ halls, getting friends to dj and cater and I charged everyone an entry fee. I realised then that entertainment could also be very lucrative. I understood that in order to have a sustainable career in the arts, I would also have to understand how to couple that passion with a shrewd craft and business acumen.”

Jarryd recollects that he has a great rapport with a teacher he won’t name for fear of embarrassing him.. “I think it’s because we share a dark, mischievous and sardonic sense of humour. One day he gave me his car keys and asked me to go pack some books into the boot of his car. So I drove his car away from the main campus where he’d parked it, and parked it at Pollock Campus instead, then handed his car keys back to him afterwards. It seemed like a good idea at the time. He didn’t say a word about it. Then, a few weeks later, he got his comeuppance. He sent me to the guardhouse at the main gate – which as you know is quite a long distance from main campus – ostensibly to collect a package that had been left for him. When I got there, the guard gave me a note which he told me to read and it said: “Who’s the a***hole now?” I thought it was hilarious!”

Jarryd first studied film production at Technikon Pretoria’s Motion Picture Academy and acting with SAFTA-winner David Dennis. While studying, he worked as a production assistant for Lakeside Entertainment and Clive Morris Productions. “Life is ladders. I essentially started out as a slave and climbed up from there. The Technikon required students to gain practical experience, which was beneficial because I was immersed in every single discipline of the film industry.”

Jarryd was a semi-finalist in the Chesterfield Writers’ Film Project, an international screenwriting fellowship founded by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and sponsored by Paramount Pictures. His graduation film “Secret of the Veld”, was selected and screened at the national Apollo Film Festival. The National Film and Video Foundation of South Africa (NFVF) gave him a bursary to study film-making at AFDA in Cape Town where he headed the Student Representative Council and his shorts were broadcast by the SABC and DStv.

While attending a film expo at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Jarryd was scouted by agents from TOPCO, one of the most recognised, respected model agencies in South Africa, for which he gained a significant amount of experience in front of the camera with different clients, including a Sprite soft drink commercial that aired across the European Union. “Initially, I thought that modelling is a frivolous pursuit. In hindsight, it gave me a useful professional skillset because it requires you to be presentable, collaborative in a multi-cultural environment, flexible, diplomatic, resilient, cordial and driven. Of course, it also enables you to travel and meet very interesting and attractive people.”

Jarryd left the fashion industry to focus on his studies when the NFVF gave him a bursary to complete an honours degree at the University of Cape Town. During this period, he spent a lot of time serving as an intern on photographic and film sets. When the English Department of the University of Stellenbosch offered a full scholarship, Jarryd completed a MA Degree in English Language and Literature (cum laude) with a thesis that focuses on issues of identity in the 1970s East African travel writing of Trinidadian author Shiva Naipaul, supervised by the department chair Dr. Dirk Klopper, now head of English at Rhodes.

Jarryd spent the next few years working for various Cape Town-based film production companies in different capacities. He returned to Pretoria to conduct research for a novel set during the Second Anglo-Boer War. Seeking to gain academic experience outside of South Africa, Jarryd applied and was accepted to read for a master’s degree in the history of art (specialising in film-related issues) at the University of Oxford. Without adequate finances, he was forced to turn his place down. The following year, Jarryd reapplied with the same application, and simultaneously applied for the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s Chevening Scholarship. Jarryd progressed to the final interview stage of the Chevening Scholarship, but his reapplication to Oxford was rejected. However, the London Met Film School granted a Voices That Matter Scholarship to him to complete a MA in Film-making. The scholarships are awarded “to students who demonstrate the potential to be exceptional filmmakers and who already have compelling stories to tell, who are able to show their passion for and dedication to making films, and particularly students from conflict zones and developing countries.” Jarryd also received a scholarship from the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust which enabled him to take up his place at the film school which is based at Ealing Studios, the oldest operational film studios in the world, at a time when films like “The Theory of Everything”, “The Imitation Game” and TV series “Downton Abbey” were in production at the studios.

Jarryd attended master classes by film industry luminaries like Cameron McCracken, the executive producer of “Slumdog Millionaire”, “127 Hours”, “Selma”, Frank Spotnitz, the creator of “The X-Files” and Andy Serkis who is renowned for his performance capture roles as Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings”, the eponymous “King Kong” and Supreme Leader Snoke in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”. His thesis was supervised by Lisa Neeley, a former development executive at Warner Bros. and HBO.

After film school, Jarryd spent time learning the Chubbuck technique at a master class with leading Hollywood acting coach Ivana Chubbuck who is known for her work with Charlize Theron, Halle Berry, Jake Gyllenhaal, Brad Pitt and Jared Leto. Afterwards, he was accepted to the academy at Faber & Faber in Bloomsbury to develop his novel. Jarryd spent some time in Los Angeles before returning to South Africa to establish Mandala Films with film producer Luke Sharland. Mandala Films aims to celebrate local stories on an international scale. Together, they made “The Suit” and are now developing two feature film projects.

Jarred agrees that Pretoria Boys High School is a special place, because for him it provided the space, encouragement and freedom to explore and express the things that he was passionate about. “It also inspires healthy competition and debate that contributed to making me a very confident, driven, conscientious, informed and decisive person. A boys-only school is a tough environment for someone who is innately sensitive so it was beneficial in building my character and instilling a strong sense of perseverance. I often went against the grain, sometimes even flaunting the rules, but I always had the support of very reasonable, liberal and open-minded teachers who saw far beyond the conventional and limited school environment.”

Read More:

NFVF-backed film THE SUIT selected for Oscar-qualifying film festival

Screen adaptation of Can Themba’s ‘The Suit’ hits the film festival circuit

Fledgling filmmaker tackles period short as debut

Young South Africans rise up

PRETORIA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL DONOR WALL

PHASE II FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN THE DONOR WALL

There is a limited opportunity for 2500 donors to be part of this exclusive project.

Four glass panels each measuring 4m wide x 3m tall will be erected in the atrium of the new building. The sand blasted image from a distance would depict the façade of the main Building. On closer inspection one will realise that the actual artwork is in fact the names of the 2500 donors.

A minimum contribution of R 2 500.00 would secure your name on the Wall.

By donating towards Phase II of the building project, you can leave a unique legacy that contributes to the future of South Africa.

https://vimeo.com/157574746

The Pretorian Trust is a registered public benefit organisation for tax purposes. Any donations to the Trust will be tax deductible in terms of Section 18A of the income Tax Act. All donors will receive the appropriate tax certificate.

Click here for more information >>

MASTER’S INTERVIEW

Where were you at school before Pretoria Boys High School?

I spent my high school years at The Glen High School. They were amazing fun-filled years and it was there that I met and started dating my wife.

Why did you only go to Pretoria Boys High School in your last/matric year?

When I matriculated from The Glen, I wanted to study dentistry. For this I needed to improve my Maths and Science results and so my dad (who is also an Old Boy) arranged for me to do a “Post Matric” of sorts at PBHS. I didn’t end up needing these improved results as I changed my mind half way through the year and applied to study law at Tuks with my results from The Glen.

Do you remember your first day as a schoolboy at Pretoria Boys High School?

I don’t really remember, but I do remember that I thought I was quite cool because my girlfriend (now wife) was a Tuks student and she often dropped me off and fetched me from school.

Which teachers explicitly stand out when thinking back on your time as a schoolboy at Pretoria Boys High School?

I have fond memories of many of my teachers, but I will mention a couple that really stood out. Mr Rademeyer, was our English teacher. I remember walking into his classroom on the first day of the first term and seeing him writing on the board in Cuneiform. It was at that stage that I thought I was way out of my league! Mr (Peter) Kirsten was my Maths teacher, Housemaster and hockey coach. He was a real legend and I remember him having a fantastic sense of humour. I strongly suspect that I have Peter Kirsten and Roger Herbert to thank for pulling the necessary strings to get me in at PBHS back then. I first met Peter when playing Old Boys’ hockey while still at The Glen. I had called him Peter on the field for many years. I remember the first day of school, he politely approached me and said “Clidey, you are going to have to call me “Sir” or “Mr Kirsten” while you are here…Ok?”. Of course, I understood and did as requested.

Any funny moments?

My year was filled with fun and laughter. I remember going on hockey tour to Cape Town in our school busses driven by the coaches. One of the players in the team decided to put together packets of snacks for the team. The sole purpose of these snacks was to induce extreme and violent flatulence for the team, which was unleashed on the unsuspecting coach, from just outside Johannesburg all the way to Cape Town.

Another moment was a series of moments. I turned 18 and got my driver’s licence relatively early in that year. The matrics had to park at the squash courts back then and my car was broken into while parked there. My cars window was smashed and my radio/tape deck was stolen which irritated me. I approached one of the deputies about parking elsewhere (closer to the front of the school) so as to limit my chances of future damages. I was told that I could limit my damages by leaving my car at home and walking to school.

Realising that I was not going to get any joy, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I started arriving at school very early in the morning (before the staff arrived) so as to park in the staff parking at the front of the school. I had a rotational system going which ensured that I did not irritate the same staff member twice in quick succession. My logic was that if it only happened to them once every few weeks, they would probably only grumble about it but not actually do anything about it. My theory proved quite effective and I managed to park with the staff for the last month of the first term and all of the second term.

It was the last day of school of the second term when I was called in to the same deputy’s office. He said to me “are you Mac Donald? Do you drive a sky blue Fiat 128?” I answered “yes Sir” to both. He then stood up out of his chair, pointed out the window at the cars parked at the front of the school and asked “is that your vehicle over there?” It was. He explained to me that he had been trying to track me down for a few weeks already. He went on to explain that the car had caused a great deal of unhappiness and conflict in the staff room with staff blaming the phantom car on each other (it seems it got so bad that two staff members nearly came to blows over falsely accusing each other of driving the car). I tried explaining that I had not had another break in since moving my car, but he was not particularly interested in my statistics and I was punished rapidly.

Best school memory

The two are intertwined… representing the school in the 1st Hockey Team and having our team photo hung in the same hallway as my dad’s 1st Team Hockey photo.

We can all agree that Pretoria Boys High School is a special school, but what makes it a special school to you.

Boys High is more than a school and a place of work. It is a family. It was when I started working here, that I truly started feeling this and the love has only become stronger over the years.

You studied Law after completing your schooling. What made you change your mind and pursue a career in education?

My wife studied teaching straight out of school. She is a passionate educator who absolutely loves her work. I never really enjoyed practicing law and remember being envious of her happy disposition. It was in conversation with her previous headmaster that I was convinced to “try” teaching. I loved teaching from the day I started and have never looked back.

When and where did your teaching career start at Pretoria Boys High School?

I taught at The Glen High School for 8 months when I first started teaching. Towards the end of the year I heard about the post at PBHS, applied for it and the rest is history.

What is your favorite part of the campus?

I would have to say the Koppie. I have lived in the staff housing on the Koppie for nearly 9 years and I have always enjoyed the incredible views over the school from up there.

Being a Deputy Headmaster you must have “seen and heard it all”. Please share an experience you will not forget.

I have met many interesting characters over the years, but I will relay one story. I remember one day a white dove flapped into my classroom while I was giving an Life Orientation lesson to matrics. It was quite an amazing sight and the class saw it as a good omen. For some strange reason, the bird settled on the shoulder of one of the boys sitting at the back of the class. He raised his outstretched finger to the dove and it calmly hopped on. I asked him if he could carefully escort the bird out of the class to give it its freedom. He was gone for ages. When he finally returned towards the end of the lesson, I asked him where he had been. He answered that he had been making something special for me and that I would be very pleased with him. He then handed me a few A4 pages. It turns out that he had taken the bird to the photo copy machine in the media centre, somehow wrestled it under the cover flap and had subjected it to numerous duplications. He said that this way we would remember our special bird forever! As much as I appreciated the gesture, the images of the distorted bird were highly disturbing and I did not keep them.

A final message

Before teaching here I was a cynical person, not very optimistic about life and the world in general. I remember when I first arrived here as a teacher, I felt like big strong arms had been thrown around me and I was safe. It was in this safe haven that I was allowed to grow and flourish as an educator and a person. Boys High changed me as a person.

Boys High will always have a very special place in my heart and I will always look back on my years at this wonderful school with a smile and a glint in my eyes.

Tis here I truly learnt to live.

PRETORIA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL NEWS

The Pretoria Boys High School choir won the Best Boys’ Choir Category as well as the first place over all in the High School Category at the first University of Pretoria Sing-It Competition earlier in September. They competed against more than 30 high school entries nationally. The International Adjudicator, Thomas Caplin from Norway, spoke very highly of the school’s talented choir.

On 27 August the PBHS Senior and Junior 7-a-side teams participated in the Annual Suthies Sevens Festival at Sutherland High School. The results were as follows:

Seniors
PBHS 1st beat Hoërskool Piet Potgieter 1st 30-5
PBHS 1st beat Hoërskool Barberton 1st 45-0
PBHS 1st beat Sutherland 14-5

Semi-Final
PBHS 1st beat Zwartkops 1st 17-12

Final
PBHS 1st beat Eldoraigne 1st 17-12

Juniors
PBHS U15A beat Hoërskool Barberton U15A 38-0
PBHS U15A beat Hoërskool Merensky U15A 30-7
PBHS U15A beat Sutherland U15A 30-0

Semi-Final
PBHS U15A beat Midstream U15A 17-0

Final
PBHS U15A beat Zwartkops U15A 14-10

This is the first time that any school has won both the Senior and Junior 7 a side title at the tournament.

OLD BOYS IN THE NEWS

THE FORM ONE CRISIS – JANUARY 30TH

We arrived at second break to find our bit of shade had been annexed by a group of Form Ones. In our history we had not known such a provoking move made by a foreign Form. We immediately began negotiations, but to no avail. Having explained that the disputed land was ours on the basis of occupation (February 10th 1966 – January 29th 1967) our Minister-President issued an ultimatum to the effect that they should withdraw within 24 seconds.

After that period had expired we had still not received any reply to the ultimatum, so we bore down upon them. Seeing that resistance was useless – our force was by far the stronger – they made a strategic movement to the rear, and we were able to reoccupy our shade. The crisis was over, and not a shot had been fired.

L. Davies, Form 5C, 1967. (The Pretorian 1966)

IN MEMORIAM

JACQUES MALAN (1957)