Weaver Of Tales
YOU South Africa|12 January 2017

Versatile, creative and oozing talent – Akin Omotoso is making his mark in the movie business.

Shanaaz Prince
Weaver Of Tales

HE’S been an actor, writer, producer and director and if you ask him which discipline he loves the most, he wouldn’t be able to choose. Because for him they all boil down to one thing – telling a story. That’s what he really loves.

Akin Omotoso is good at it too. The romantic comedy Tell Me Sweet Something, which he co-wrote and directed, raked in more than R2 million at the box office and won the award for best narrative feature at the BlackStar Film Festival in Philadelphia in the US last year.

His newest film, Vaya, which tells the story of three strangers trying to make their way in Johannesburg, was the only South African film to be selected for the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival in Canada.

The movie is set to hit South African screens sometime this year. It’s based on the real-life stories of people living on the streets – some of whom appear in the film – and explores the hard realities of life when you’re not in control of your own destiny, the 42-year-old filmmaker says.

The three strangers find themselves on the same train bound for Johannesburg and arrive full of hope and plans, unprepared for life in the unfamiliar city.

Akin knows what it’s like to arrive in a new place and try to make your way there – he was born and grew up in Nigeria and moved to South Africa with his family at the age of 17.

His father, writer and academic Kole Omotoso, had accepted a job in the English department at the University of the Western Cape and so the family moved to Cape Town.

Akin completed his last year of school at elite boys’ school Bishops and went on to study drama at the University of Cape Town. While his struggles weren’t the same as the characters in Vaya, the themes of new places, expectations and fears struck a chord.

Esta historia es de la edición 12 January 2017 de YOU South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición 12 January 2017 de YOU South Africa.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE YOU SOUTH AFRICAVer todo
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
YOU South Africa

PUSHED TO THE LIMIT

The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
YOU South Africa

HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY

Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache

time-read
10+ minutos  |
5 September 2024
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
YOU South Africa

THE GROWN-UP BRAIN

If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!

time-read
3 minutos  |
5 September 2024
THE eyes HAVE IT
YOU South Africa

THE eyes HAVE IT

They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area

time-read
1 min  |
5 September 2024
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
YOU South Africa

WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER

It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry

time-read
4 minutos  |
5 September 2024
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
YOU South Africa

I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!

Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
YOU South Africa

'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'

When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
YOU South Africa

SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!

A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
YOU South Africa

READY TO SMILE AGAIN

A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth

time-read
5 minutos  |
5 September 2024
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
YOU South Africa

HARRY AT A CROSSROADS

As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life

time-read
8 minutos  |
5 September 2024