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Dirk de Villiers
Dirk de Villiers
Born	Dirk de Villiers; 26 July 1924; Douglas, Northern Cape
Died	28 December 2009 (aged 85); Chris Barnard Memorial Hospital, Cape Town
Nationality	South African
Other names	The Godfather
Occupation(s)	Director, producer, writer, editor
Years active	1942–2004
Spouse(s)	Addy (1950–1973) ; Miems Swanepoel (1992)
Children	5 including Gys de Villiers

Dirk de Villiers (26 July 1924 – 28 December 2009) was a South African filmmaker.^[1] Considered as the most prolific filmmaker and 'Godfather' in South African film industry, de Villiers has made several critically acclaimed films in a career spanned for more than six decades.^[2]^[3]

Personal life

He was born on 26 July 1924 on the farm Villieria in Douglas, Northern Cape, South Africa in a family with five siblings. His mother died when he was four years old and father is a farmer who continued farming inherited from Cornelius Valkenburg de Villiers. After mother died, Dirk and his brother Niel were sent from aunt to aunt. He later grew up on the banks of the Vaal River where he went to several schools in Jagersfontein, Marquard and Bethlehem.^[2]

He was married to the actress Addy from 1950 until divorced in 1973. The couple had five children including Gys de Villiers. Gys is also a popular actor and playwright in South African cinema and theater. He had a relationship with Miems Swanepoel for few years since 1992.^[2]

On 24 December 2009, he suffered heart attack and rushed into Chris Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town. However, he died on 28 December 2009 at the age of 89, due to lung infection and heart failure.^[2]^[3]

Career

In 1942, de Villiers started acting in many dramas for the Johannesburg Afrikaans Amateur Actors (JAATS). Then he founded National Theater Organization along with Schalk Theron. Along with drama, he studied mechanical engineering, where he later worked in the Cape Town harbor. Then he went to London for a course in marine engineering. After returning, he became a ship engineer.

He started film career as an actor with the film Kruger Millions directed by Ivan Hall. In the film, he played the role of a traitorous member of the Cavalier suicide commando. He also acted in the films, , , Kniediep, Kruger miljoene en Stadig oor die klippe. Piet my niggie, Kavaliers. He directed his maiden feature film Jy Is My Liefling. The film starred Franz Marx in his first film role and Min Shaw. After the commercial success of the film, he made the blockbuster films, Die Geheim Van Nantes. The film is an adaptation of the famous Springbok Radio serial, starring the entire voice cast. In 1968 he made his first full-length film, You Are My Darling and established as a professional filmmaker.^[2]^[4]

In 1972, de Villiers made thriller movie My Broer Se Bril. Then in 1974, he directed two films Met Liefde Van Adele and The Virgin Goddess. Meanwhile in 1976, he made his first internationally acclaim movies Glenda and Die diamantjagters. In 1978, he made euthanasia-oriented drama titled Besluit om te sterf. Meanwhile, de Villiers founded Roodepoort Amateur Theater Organization (RATO). Some of his popular feature films include: Geheim van Nantes, Kalahari Harry, Die Spaanse Vlieg, Daan en Doors op die dieggins, My broer se bril, Tant Ralie se losieshuis, Die lewe sonder jou, Die drie Van der Merwes, Met liefde van Adéle, My naam is Dingetjie, Witblits en Peach Brandy, Dingetjie en Idi, Die wit sluier en Kaalgat tussen die daisies.^[2]^[4]

Apart from cinema, de Villiers also made popular television serials such as Arende, Meeulanders and Jantjie kom huis toe where the latter is considered as the first television series with a brown cast in South Africa. In 1990, he won the Artes Award for Best Director of a Dramatic Work for the serial Arende. The serial also won Artes Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Dramatic Work and for Best Contribution to Production Services. With numerous awards at local award festivals, Arende later distributed as Cape Rebel in 52 countries. De Villiers then made two more sequels to the serial as well.^[2]

Meanwhile, de Villiers moved to direct English films, such as The Snake Dancer, which was based on the life of the famous stripper Glenda Kemp. Kemp herself played the lead role in the film. In the English film That English Woman, de Villiers discussed on the life of Emily Hobhouse and then in Abakoshobezi on the life of a black physician returning to his homeland after qualification.

In 2008, de Villiers was honoured at the Klein Karoo Arts Festival for his contribution to the South African film industry. He has made 25 feature films and 13 documentaries. In 2010, he was posthumously honored by the South African Film and Television Industry (Safta) for his lifetime dedication and contribution towards South African cinema.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Genre
1963	Huis op Horings	Actor: Manie	Film
1964	Piet my Niggie	Actor: Hendrik Tallerman	Film
1966	Kavaliers	Actor: Gen. de Wet	Film
1967	Kruger Miljoene	Actor: van der Lindt	Film
1967	The Cape Town Affair	Actor: Officer at security briefing	Film
1967	Hoor My Lied	Actor: Former patient of Dawid	Film
1968	Jy is My Liefling	Director, writer, Actor: van der Merwe	Film
1969	Geheim van Nantes	Director, screenplay	Film
1969	Stadig oor die Klippe	Actor: Bosman	Film
1970	Die 3 v.d. Merwes	Director	Film
1971	A New Life	Director	Film
1972	Die Lewe Sonder Jou	Director, writer, Actor: Martin	Film
1972	My Broer se Bril	Director, writer	Film
1973	Die Wit Sluier	Director, screenplay, Actor: Dr. Fritz	Film
1974	Pens en Pootjies	Director, executive producer	Film
1974	La diosa virgen	Director, producer, writer, Actor: Flint	Film
1974	Tant Ralie se Losieshuis	Director, Actor: Tommy	Film
1974	Met Liefde van Adéle	Director, producer, story, screenplay	Film
1975	My Naam is Dingetjie	Director, Actor: Mr. Roberts	Film
1975	The Kingfisher Caper	Director, Actor: Les	Film
1975	Daan en Doors Oppie Dieggins	Director, story, screenplay, Actor: Rival digger	Film
1976	Snake Dancer	Director, producer	Film
1977	Die Ryk Weduwee	Director	TV series
1977	Crazy People: 'n Mal Mensdom	Director, Actor: Afrikaans narrator	Film
1977	Dingetjie & Idi	Director, producer	Film
1978	Die Spaanse Vlieg	Director	Film
1978	Decision to Die	Director	Film
1978	Witblits & Peach Brandy	Director, screenplay	Film
1979	Charlie Word 'n Ster	Director, screenplay	Film
1979	Herfsland	Actor: Senator Gideon Scheepers	TV series
1980	Nie Vanweë die Duisternis	Actor	TV series
1980	April 1980	Actor: Gaffie Krige	TV series
1981	Interster	Producer	TV series
1984	Jantjie	Director	TV series
1986	Suidpunt-Hotel	Director	TV series
1986	You Gotta Be Crazy!	Director, Actor: Himself	TV series
1986	Ou Grote	Director	TV series
1986	Abashokobezi	Director	TV series
1989	Cape Rebel	Director, producer	TV series
1990	That Englishwoman: An Account of the Life of Emily Hobhouse	Director, producer	Film
1991	Die Allemans	Producer	TV series
1992	Arende II: MoordenaarsKaroo	Director, producer	TV series
1993	Arende III: Dorsland	Director, producer, Actor: Crazy man	TV series
1994	Kalahari Harry	Director, producer, screenplay	Film
1994	Arende	Director	Film
1996	Meeulanders	Producer	TV movie
1997	Kaalgat Tussen die Daisies	Producer, Actor: Kowus Pelzer	TV series
1999	Hunt for the Man in the Moon	Producer	TV series
2001	Lied van die Lappop	Director, producer	TV series