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Actress, producer, screenwriter and filmmaker – Donnalee Roberts is a woman of many talents. She is also an Instax fan, with her Instax prints proudly displayed throughout her home. We chatted to Donnalee about the significance of a physical photo, her brown Instax Mini Evo, and her brand-new series – Een Keer Om Die Son.
Hello Donnalee, it’s great to have you onboard!
Thank you so much for having me here – “In the Moment”. I love this so much because in this day and age it feels like we are always living in tomorrow, always busy on our way to somewhere, instead of just BEING in the here and now – in the moment!
Tell us, why are Instax prints important to you?
Oh my sentimental heart! I have always been a collector of little things that remind me of special moments and ever since I got my first Instax camera, I have been able to make those special moments and memories visually tangible by capturing them on an Instax print. LOVE!
You own the brown Instax Mini Evo amongst other Instax devices. What do you like most about this camera/printer?
It’s SO wonderfully retro and reminiscent of a time when taking a picture was a special moment. When you looked at that photo later, you could remember all the details, such as the smell in the air, the sounds around you, what you wore, what you laughed about. Taking a picture was about capturing a significant moment in your life.
What is your favourite thing to do with your prints? Do you have an album, a pin board, or do they go on the fridge door? They live EVERYWHERE. Absolutely on our fridge, in my wallet, my kids’ room, on a pin board in my office – little captured moments everywhere to remind me to BE in the moment because that’s the only way to turn the moment into a memory! Told you I have a super sentimental heart 😉
Through a magical event, you now have the chance to go back in time to snap an Instax photo of anyone. Who would that be?
Former president and legend Nelson Mandela! This quote of his always lives with me: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
You have a new series running on KykNET, created alongside your husband, Ivan Botha, and starring yourself. Tell us more please!
Een Keer Om Die Son is our new family drama series that myself and my husband, Ivan Botha, co-wrote, produced, directed and played in. It can be seen on Tuesday evenings at 8pm on KykNET and also on Catch Up.
We meet the Van Wyk family on New Year’s Eve and follow their journey over a year (a trip around the sun) to the next one.
They are shattered by the death of a beloved family member and their lives come crashing down as individuals and a collective. Over a year they must learn to truly grieve, grow and grasp what it means to start living again. We follow their journey as a family through love, loss, heartbreak and what it means to truly follow your dreams.
Een Keer Om Die Son offers viewers a deeply moving and authentic portrayal of the ordinary human experience, as the Van Wyk family navigates the challenges and triumphs of life!
We always ask our interviewees, what’s your favourite tune at the moment?
“Labamba”. It’s always “Labamba”! It’s my favourite ‘let’s get this party started’ tune!
And your favourite movie at the moment?
Ooooeeeeh, that’s such a difficult question because I literally have a favourite movie in pretty much every genre. But let’s go with “top three of all time movies I would choose every time, at any moment”: Forrest Gump, Fight Club, Amélie.
What would you rather be doing at the moment?
Watching a palm tree sway in a sunny breeze, toes in the sand, drinking out of a coconut and playing on the beach with my boys!
Find more of Donnalee here:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnalee_r/
