How 'Playing Dad' will celebrate the fathers of South Africa

The South African

06-06-2025

With Father's Day approaching, a film centred around the ideals of fatherhood called Playing Dad has been released. This seventh film in the Heartlines Father's Matter series premiered this past Wednesday at Hyde Park in Johannesburg.
The story follows Mpendulo, a strict carpenter who unexpectedly finds himself responsible for his young son, Ndumiso. As Mpendulo struggles with things like bedtime stories, he learns that playing isn't just for children. He learns that play can bind fathers and sons. Just as their bond strengthens, an intense situation at Ndumiso's early childhood development centre might derail their progress as father and son.
Vincent Mahlape stars in this feature as the lead role of Mpendulo. He said that the script drew him in, 'It is a story that addresses social issues,' he commented.
'We witness this daily in our communities. I wanted to explore Mpendulo's journey and get a sense of what he understands fatherhood to be versus what fatherhood is.'
Mahlape said there can be a lot of internal conflict that stems from childhood and upbringing that shapes fathers to be the men they are, which is what he believes the case to be with Mpendulo.
'Mpendulo is a mirror for many men to decide if they are happy with what they see or would like to change something about themselves.'
Mahlape adopted a meticulous approach to playing this role, which involved introspection and interrogation.
'This does not include judging him. It was about understanding Mpendulo's background, his upbringing, family ties, his wants, needs, flaws, etc.
'All of the details then inform how I approach the character based on my knowledge and what I observe in everyday life. I build up from there and give him his physicality, which includes his walk, mannerisms, voice, speech patterns, personality, etc,' he elaborated.
'No man is perfect, but I believe that if we commit to bettering ourselves, we can be close to it. As a young father myself, there is a lot that I am learning about myself, my son and fatherhood. The film gave me access to information that I otherwise wouldn't have known.'
He explained that he learnt that going down, physically, to your kid's level and maintaining eye contact helps get your message across while creating a safe space for your child.
'The role also made me understand that fatherhood is a journey, things will happen, but how you address issues is important.'
The passionate lead actor said that working with Eric Mogale, the film's director and producer, was a pleasure.
'His energy is infectious. Eric is a very hands-on and collaborative director, which makes the crew and cast feel like one big family. He has a good understanding of kids, which was extremely helpful in our scenes with our young star Siyamthanda [Nxumalo].
'He was clear in his vision for the story and also allowed the cast to live thoughtfully – unapologetically in scenes which made it a lot easier to tap into different emotional moments that are sometimes very demanding.'
'My involvement with Fathers Matter stems from my love and passion for storytelling,' Mogale explained.
'Especially complex social issues. With my experience as a director and producer, I have been equipped with the skills to address sensitive issues like fatherhood and traditional matters.'
Mogale revealed that extensive research was done to keep the film authentic.
'We had to go to early childhood development centres, and we stayed at these for days, getting to feel what it feels like to be in that space. Understanding the children and what fathers are battling with out there.'
He was thrilled with the mood he; his cast and crew were able to cultivate on set.
'This was one of the most beautiful sets to work on. We had the usual challenges of tight schedules and giving the little man a break. We can't overwork them as they have time limits.'
He had nothing but praise for the actors he was able to enlist for this production.
'These actors required very little direction. Collaborating with youngsters and getting them to understand the situation in scenes where they must cry was hard. So, helping them get in and then out of that moment was demanding. But it was easy to achieve those moments.'
He said his lead actor was amazing to work with and easy to direct. Mogale said they had almost wrapped up their search for the lead role when their casting director added two more submissions to the pile, one of which was Mahlape's audition.
'The moment they played Vincent's tape, we paused and sat down. We knew he was the guy. His timing and performance…he doesn't overdo things. You don't have to do much as a director.'
Mahlape hopes this film leaves the audience with a feeling of hope.
'It is a film that intends to start conversations about fatherhood in today's age. It highlights fatherhood, responsibility, learning and unlearning.'
Playing Dad will be available on the Heartlines website from June 13.
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