Family ties

Uys’s relationship with his dad and grandma are the things dreams are made of as the teen struggles with stress.

- NKOSAZANA NGWADLA

In a world where children, especially teenagers and young adults, are often scared to share their true selves with their parents, there’s Uys (Daniel Coetzee) and his dad Werner (Zak Hendrikz), who’re so close they might as well be best friends. Where most parents push their children too hard because they want their offspring to have good and successful lives, Werner is letting his son get on with things so that Uys won’t be afraid to express himself and his feelings about his career.

“Uys and his father’s relationship is very close, on a base level, they can potentially be seen as best friends who get up to trouble with pranks and Werner’s interest and investment in Uys’s life and hobbies,” says Daniel. “On a deeper level however, Uys has an immense respect for his father, looking up to his moral code and genuine love for his family. Uys is aware of his own reckless nature and knows that regardless of what happens, his father will always be there for him. For example, when Zee (Ray Neo Buso) was attacked by Uys’s friends recently, Werner was the person that Uys confided in first with his fears.”

Uys admires his dad for his convictions and principles. “The qualities that Uys admires about his father are his genuine care and respect for those around him, and how he’s always willing to help where he can. Uys also admires his father’s love towards his family and his wife and strives to find one day what his parents have. He admires his father’s composure and determination in the face of adversity,” says Daniel.

SCARED TO SOAR