Africa News
Cinematographer of Oscar-nominated film about carjacker carjacked
By DPA
Feb 26, 2006, 14:50 GMT

Johannesburg - A crew member of the Oscar-nominated film 'Tsotsi,' that centres around the perpetrator of a car hijacking became the victim of a carjacking in the early hours Saturday.

Lance Gewer, the director of photography for the South African film that has already won numerous awards, was travelling with a female companion when the hijacking occurred in the north-eastern Johannesburg suburb of Bramley, the Sunday Independent newspaper said on Sunday.

The two persons were pulled from a BMW by armed thieves and Gewer spent most of Saturday thinking he would not be able to leave the country Sunday to attend the March 5 Oscar ceremony because his passport and air ticket had been in the car, according to the report.

Gewer's friend said she was afraid but said one of the young men who carjacked assured her: 'Don't worry I won't kill you.'

The unidentified friend said: 'I guess I was in shock because at that point I asked (the robber) if he had seen the film 'Tsotsi.' He replied that he had seen it and then said: 'That is why I am so sorry to do this to you. I saw Tsotsi, its a good film. My heart is sore for you. Please forgive me for doing this.''

Police later recovered the car in the nearby Alexandra township, the Sunday Independent said.

Tsotsi, which is set in Johannesburg and its surrounding townships was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Feature category.

It maps events that unfold in the days after a young car hijacker forces a mother from her car, only to realise that he has driven off with her baby.