Danie van der Westhuizen - The Man behind the Lens

Sep 27, 2017
4 min read

When Danie van der Westhuizen was in grade 10, him and a few of his friends decided to make a parody music video to a popular song by an upcoming band called Fall Out Boy. This turned out to be the first time he handled a video camera, but definitely not the last. In that moment, he discovered a talent and a passion, one that would lead him to pursue a career in documentary filmmaking. I met Danie was when we were both part of the media team for Cancervive on their ten-day journey around South Africa – him on the filmmaking side, and me being involved with the blogging. The first thing you have to know about Danie, is that he is quite a quiet person, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he has a massive presence. On Cancervive, he quietly went about his business, spending long hours filming behind the camera, with the rest of the time used up by the editing of the videos. It was only when the final products began pouring out day by day, that I fully appreciated how masterful he was at his trade. This article is my ode to him – by telling the story of the man who tells the stories of others.

Danie grew up on a small farm in the North-West province, where he fostered a love for nature. After he finished his high school education in Potchefstroom, he studied communication at North-West University, and went on to specialise in documentary filmmaking. In his final year, the students were tasked with creating a documentary about a subject of their choice, and Danie decided upon a very prominent problem in the media. In 2012, his final year, South Africa saw a notable spike in rhino poaching numbers. For the documentary, he travelled to parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, interviewing many role-players in the anti-rhino poaching sphere, such as conservationists and activists. “I wanted to focus on finding solutions to the crisis. Part of the documentary was showing how an everyday person could actually make a difference apart from sharing posts on social media,” he affirms.

In the same year, Danie and a friend entered an international competition, with the grand prize of a travel filmmaking scholarship – an all-expenses paid trip to Brazil to cover the Rio Festival. For this, the two made a three-minute video documenting the unique experiences that Soweto has to offer through the eyes of a Jo’burg student: from the taxi ride there, the homemade beer in its shabeens, and ending off with a beautiful shot of soccer being played in the streets. Eventually, the news came that the video had come in second place. Although Danie didn’t win the scholarship to the Rio Festival, the competition was an important reminder about his skills and talents as an upcoming cinematographer in the industry.

In the past year, Danie resolved to go abroad and travel to see the rest of the world as well as capture some incredible places and people on film. The individuality of each nation he visited is on exhibition all over his Instagram page (his handle is @donnywesthouse, for the interested parties amongst my readers). In Cartagena De Indias, Columbia, there is footage of a coffee cart sizzling as fresh beans roast, and a taste of Jamaican local variety as an aged man sits on a sidewalk jamming to Bob Marley tunes on his guitar. Danie has a gift of capturing moments, and in each clip I watch, I see his passion seeping through. By making these videos, he has given the world a gift. People he has never met are allowed to share in the beauty of places that they have never seen. But Danie never travels alone; all of his experiences are shared by his little faithful friend Khumba, a zebra keychain that was given to him by his aunt.

At the moment, Danie is working with VIA TV to film a series called “My Matriekafskeid”, which captures the stories of young grade 12 girls as they prepare for their Matric Farewells. “I really had to get into the mental space of the programme, and into the mind of a matric girl with how they feel about it,” says Danie. “Seeing how a special event like a matric farewell has an impact on the relationships between moms and daughters, and how the families go to lengths to make the day perfect for them is a very special part of the experience for me.” He cites that his passion remains documentary films, and that he would love to create biopics of people, telling their stories. “Not necessarily famous people, but just interesting individuals,” he adds. He has also runs a series of short documentary videos on YouTube entitled Hometown Strangers, sharing the lives of individuals all over South Africa who have a story to tell.

And as for the future? When I ask him about his plan in 10 years, he replies that he wants to have directed his own feature films. “I’m definitely honing my skills towards something that will be purposeful in the world,” he adds. He gives a laugh, saying that asking about 5 years from now might be a little bit difficult to think about, whilst 2 years is more tangible. Danie has a clear plan of what he wants out of life, but he also leaves space for the necessity of flexibility in his future. In my opinion, this is where the magic happens. In his own words, “the courage zone is my playground.” The most important thing that I’ve ever learnt from Danie is that egotism requires announcement, whilst confidence will always speak for itself. I am truly so excited to see what lies ahead in his life, because I know that his journey is only just beginning.