John Barker (filmmaker)

John Barker is a South African filmmaker based in Johannesburg. He is best known for his feature film directorial debut Bunny Chow. The film was officially selected to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. The film received many awards. John is born to parents Clive Barker (soccer coach) and Yvonne Barker. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, John made a documentary Soccer: South of the Umbilo about his childhood growing up in the southern suburbs of Durban, which produced many talented soccer players and coaches including his father Clive Barker.

John wrote, directed and produced South Africa's first music mockumentary Blu Cheez.[1] He next directed the music documentary Kwaito Generals produced by Kutloano Skosana of Black Rage, which focused on the stars who were at the forefront of the Kwaito movement of the late nineties and early 2000s.[2] During this time he joined The Pure Monate Show.[3] He directed sketches in season one and directed and co-wrote sketches for the entire second season. He then wrote, produced and directed Bunny Chow which employed a retro scripting technique with the actors improvising their dialogue to communicate the outlined script written by Barker and David Kibuuka and later retro scripted with Kagiso Lediga, Joey Rasdien and editor Saki Bergh.[4] He is working on a second retro scripted film Wonder Boy for President with many of his collaborators from Bunny Chow. His style is inspired largely by Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, and notable directors who employ these techniques such as John Cassavetes, Christopher Guest, Robert Altman and Mike Leigh.

Work

References
  1. "Blu Cheez (2002)". BFI Film Forever. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 27 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  2. Mabanga, Thebe (7 November 2003). "Kwaito in general". Mail & Guardian.
  3. "John Barker". International Film Festival Rotterdam. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  4. "John Barker – the man behind 'Bunny Chow'". TheSouthAfrican.com. 12 February 2008.
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