In 2012, the most well-known artists in the South African film and TV industry combined their talents to release an award-winning movie, which nabbed prizes for Best Music Composition and Best Costume Design at the South African Film and Television Awards. Semi-soet refers to semi-sweet wine, as well as to the behavior of the characters. Jaci van Jaarsveld (Anel Alexander) is a workaholic who tries to prevent her advertisement agency from going under. Her only hope is to strike a deal with a wine estate owner, but to do so she must appeal to his conservative values and appear to be in a long-term relationship.
"An award-winning movie, which nabbed prizes for Best Music Composition and Best Costume Design at the South African Film and Television Awards."
She hires a male model to play the part of her fiancé, unaware that he is, in fact, her corporate rival in disguise, a tycoon known as The Jackal. He insists that his lawyer, who he presents as his stylist, be part of the deal. All of them, along with Jaci’s best friend and personal assistant Karla (Sandra Vaughn), spend a weekend with the wine estate owner in Franschoek, a town in the Western Cape Province, where they compete with Jaci’s ex-boyfriend and his new blonde bimbo girlfriend for the deal. The couple with the highest family values will be awarded the contract. With all its white lies and omissions of truth, Semi-soet turns into a bona fide romantic comedy. Hence the slogan on the Afrikaans promotional poster: “‘n Halwe waarheid. ‘n Halwe leuen. ‘n Hele gedoente” (A half truth. A half lie. A whole fuss).
The film clearly portrays the differences in style, language, and culture between Johannesburg and the Cape. Johannesburg is the corporate capital of South Africa, where clothing, cars, and the 24-hour bustle and hustle consumes and defines a person. Meanwhile, Franschoek, the wine valley of the Cape, is laid back. Half the movie is set in it, and the camera crew has truly captured the essential beauty of this impeccable valley, portraying its flowing wine lands and vast mountain ranges. At the turn of the 17th century, many French Huguenots were granted farms in the Franschoek valley, which means “The French Corner,” directly translated from the original French name of Le coin Français. Today, many of these wine estates are producing some of the finest South African wines under their original French farm names, and the French Heguenot museum and monument are well-frequented tourist attractions.
"The film clearly portrays the differences in style, language, and culture between Johannesburg and the Cape."
Semi-soet can be seen with English subtitles, yet much of its true meaning is lost in translation, due to the use of Afrikaans jargon, colloquialisms, and Anglicisms like “worry,” “girlfriend,” and many more. Slang terms, idioms, and phrases include “Daardeur 'n mens homself leer ken, deur klippe kou,” meaning that you can only truly know yourself once you have chewed your way through hard times. A frequently used term is “moer,” which is used in various forms. It directly translates into “dregs,” though in Afrikaans it is a slang adjective considered to be foul language. One of the most picturesque metaphors is Karla’s description of Jaci’s sense of smell, as she blurts out: “Haar sin van smaak is snot in die maanlig,” which means that her sense of smell is “nasal mucus in the moonlight.” In English, this is just nonsensical. In Afrikaans, however, it means she has no sense of taste or smell at all! At the end of the day, this movie is a reminder that, with honesty, trust, and love, you can overcome torment and succeed in living your dreams.
