Latest news with #MonaMonyane
IOL News
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Mona Monyane and Clementine Mosimane dive into the heartfelt chaos of motherhood in 'Sabbatical'
Mona Monyane as Lesego with Clementine Mosimane as her mother Dorris in the heartfelt drama, 'Sabbatical'. Image: Supplied Karabo Lediga's directorial debut, "Sabbatical", is a bittersweet mother-daughter drama. It explores profound themes of family roots, ambition, integrity, deception, and loyalty. If you haven't seen it yet on the big screen, it is highly recommended. The film benefits greatly from the exceptional performances of Mona Monyane as Lesego and Clementine Mosimane as her mother, Dorris, a truly remarkable pairing. I had the pleasure of a tête-à-tête with the actresses, who have developed a strong offscreen bond, marked by their noticeable warmth towards one another and praiseworthy comments. It was truly heartening to witness, especially since this is the first time they have worked with one another. Video Player is loading. 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Next Stay Close ✕ Mosimane shared: It was delicious working together, and I think it's because we were giving each other the space to deal with the emotions of our characters. 'Also, as actors, the understanding, the mutual respect, the love for the craft, because it's not about us, it's about the craft and the characters, so that when they come to life, they are so authentic and realistic, that was very important to us.' Monyane added: 'I agree, mutual respect. And we found a lot of similarities in our approach. So I think it's much easier when you're acting alongside someone who takes things as seriously as you do and appreciates the opportunity to tell a story. 'We came in giving our hearts, giving our minds, and it translated. It's been an honour as somebody who has watched this phenomenal woman (casting her gaze over at Mosimane) growing up. Suffice it to say, they nailed the dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship. Most of the scenes play out in a Pretoria township. The charm of the story is its relatability, which is underpinned by a strong sense of community, bustling ekasi atmosphere and close-knit bonds. The premise centres on Lesego, a high-flying corporate climber on the cusp of a promotion to CEO at LouwFin. Her life takes a tumultuous turn when she becomes entangled in a financial scandal involving the misappropriation of a miners' pension fund. As such, she retreats to her childhood home, where she is forced to face the harsh reality of her career being over while being abandoned by so-called friends. She also has to deal with disappointing her mother and the ghosts she's been running from since leaving for the big city, where her opulent lifestyle left little room for family or friends from back home. While dealing with financial ruin as her accounts have been frozen, she dodges the calls from Percy Mthimkhulu (Loyiso Gola), the tenacious investigator on the case. A behind the scenes shot of Karabo Lediga, the writer and director of 'Sabbatical'. Image: Supplied Reflecting on her first impression of the script, Monyane shared: 'I was like, I know this woman. I didn't have to feel as if I had to create her. I knew her. I had been through a sabbatical. I had been through losing everything that you work hard for. "So it was very exciting to read a piece that spoke to the human condition and that personalised it in such a beautiful way. 'It was also exciting to see the challenges because a lot of it is non-verbal. A lot of it is showing the emotion, the thought process of the character, rather than saying it. So I loved it from the script, and even in the audition, it was just so real for me.' Her veteran co-star added: 'I might not have been through it physically, but emotionally, yes, because we have grown up in black townships, in black families, and when I read the script, I got so hooked, as this is what our society needs. 'It is not that a copy and paste thing where everybody is going for the same thing. You could see that it's got depth. It is meaty. There is this emotional journey that most of us are going through, and that we are so scared to confront …' Aside from singing the praises of the director, who also penned the script, the actresses both agreed that the scene they loved most was a bathroom scene with a traditional onion sack. Monyane shared: 'It was really in that moment when they had the most important conversation as mother and daughter without using any words, and yet everything that needed to be said was said in that scene. It took me to my relationship with my mother and made me realise so many things about her that maybe I overlooked.' Mosimane added, 'That scene unpacks so many things. It's saying forgive me, it's saying I love you, it's saying I miss you, back.' The director had this to say… If the name sounds familiar, she is Kagiso Lediga's sister. He is a producer on the film On the inspiration for the story, Karabo revealed: ' I've always found my relationship with my mom, who's quite a huge character in my life, quirky, funny. There's a constant conflict, but there's also a lot of humour between the two of us; kind of a typical mother and daughter relationship in this country, on this continent, at this time. 'She's a huge influence on my life, and I've always thought how interesting it could be to write a narrative around that sort of relationship.'
News24
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Karabo Lediga pays tribute to her larger-than-life mom in heartfelt new film Sabbatical
Upcoming film, Sabbatical, starring Mona Monyane and Clementine Mosimane, unravels the tense yet touching relationship between a Pretoria mother and daughter. Coming to screens this Mother's Day weekend, the film is inspired by takeaways from director Karabo Lediga's relationship with her larger-than-life mother, Kgomotso Lediga. Imparting pearls of wisdom, the filmmaker emphasised the importance of daughters being honest with their mothers, stressing that 'secrets don't really work'. Accomplished writer and producer Karabo Lediga, known for partnering with her Emmy-nominated sibling Kagiso Lediga through his Diprente production company, has unveiled her proudest work yet as a director in the upcoming film Sabbatical. Filmed across Pretoria and Johannesburg, this dramatic comedy will hit theatres on Friday, 9 May, perfectly timed for the Mother's Day weekend. The film stars Mona Monyane and Clementine Mosimane as mother-daughter duo Lesego and Doris Tau. Synopsis: Lesego, a banker, returns unannounced to her childhood home and her overbearing mother, whom she hardly visits. Unbeknownst to her mother, a life-changing secret brought her back, threatening to upend their fragile relationship forever. Described by Karabo as 'a very dramatic yet honest and funny portrayal of a black mother and daughter,' Sabbatical provides an unflinching glimpse into family dynamics and generational tension. Speaking to News24 about the film during its screening at Montecasino on Tuesday, she linked the Pretoria-based narrative closely to her own experiences: 'It's very much Pretoria-based – it's very much my voice as somebody from Soshanguve, Atteridgeville and Akasia as well,' Karabo said at the movie's screening on Tuesday evening at Monte Casino. A look at the red carpet from the screening: Karabo revealed that much of her inspiration for the film came from her dynamic with her own mother, Kgomotso Lediga, and even her mother's friends. 'My mom is a very big character – she's almost like a movie character. It's always interesting watching her, her friends and the stuff that happens around her, so I would always take some stuff from them,' she said. I'm blessed with an interesting mom, so the story kind of asked to be told, you know – mom and daughters have this conflict, and I don't know how to explain it. I have nothing against her, but we clash, and I found those clashes interesting and worthy of telling. With days to go until the film's premiere, Karabo hopes Sabbatical will inspire dialogue between mothers and daughters about the power of honesty. This heartfelt takeaway is wrapped in humour and drama, making the film an emotional tribute to familial bonds. 'Be honest with your mothers. Find a way to talk respectfully, you know. Secrets don't really work. But, overall, there's an interesting conversation about truthfulness to be had with our mothers,' she said. Collaborating with her brother once more on the production, Karabo said their dynamics had matured over the years after starting off with petty fights. The siblings have previously teamed up for productions such as Queen Sono and The Pure Monate Show, among others. Kagiso served as the producer on the film. 'We've been working together for many years, and now it feels like we are creative partners. I lean on him a lot for creative decisions as well – even though I usually get my way, I always need some advice, and he and his partner, Tamsin Andersson, are really good at producing. They have really good taste,' Karabo said. Reflecting on her daughter's achievements, mom Kgomotso expressed overflowing pride: 'I never thought she would reach this, but because I saw her growing and growing, I'm so proud. I feel so great,' she said. An honest celebration and reflection of the complexities of motherhood and daughterhood through a humorous yet healing lens, Sabbatical is a must-watch this Mother's Day weekend.
IOL News
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Discover 'Sabbatical': a touching tale that redefines success through the heartfelt bond of mother and daughter
Mona Monyane as Lesego with Clementine Mosimane as her mother Dorris in the heartfelt drama, 'Sabbatical'. Image: Supplied 'Sabbatical', a homegrown Mother's Day movie, hits the big screen on Friday, May 9. In an interview with writer-director Karabo Lediga and producer Kagiso Lediga, they discussed how the difficult mother-daughter dynamic in their work captivates viewers, immersing them in a world where personal grounding, not wealth, defines success. The film opens with Lesego (Mona Monyane), a high-flying corporate climber on the cusp of a promotion to CEO at LouwFin. Her life takes a tumultuous turn when she becomes entangled in a financial scandal involving the misappropriation of a miners' pension fund. As such, she retreats to her childhood home in the township in Pretoria, where she is forced to face the harsh reality of her career being over while being abandoned by so-called friends. She also has to face her mother Doris (Clementine Mosimane) and the ghosts she's been running from since leaving for the big city and an opulent lifestyle that left little room for family or friends from the township. While dealing with financial ruin as her accounts have been frozen, she dodges the calls from Percy Mthimkhulu (Loyiso Gola), the tenacious investigator on the case. On what inspired this particular story, Karabo shared: ' I've always found my relationship with my mom, who's quite a huge character in my life, quirky, funny. There's a constant conflict, but there's also a lot of humour between the two of us; kind of a typical mother and daughter relationship in this country, on this continent, at this time. 'She's a huge influence on my life, and I've always thought how interesting it could be to write a narrative around that sort of relationship.' She hit the jackpot with the casting of the mother and daughter roles in the film. ' It was always going to be tricky getting extremely talented actors. I mean, that was the first requirement: extremely talented leads, but who were also convincing as mother and daughter. 'I always had different actors in mind. But when we went to auditions, they (referring to Monyane and Mosimane) were the strongest performers in the auditions for sure. "They worked convincingly on screen, but I think a bonus was also what they brought to the table because they also had interesting experiences of mother-daughter relationships that they kind of poured into the project.' A behind the scenes shot of Karabo Lediga, the writer and director of 'Sabbatical'. Image: Supplied
