As a South African, I had been the target of criminal intent several times. In fact everyone living in South Africa has been and there is always this constant anxiety as a result. South Africa is incredibly rich and beautiful, culturally and geographically. It’s been called the rainbow nation, for its cultural diversity and our peaceful transition from apartheid has been called a miracle but it is still far from being safe. The country itself is a paradox. Most South Africans have a passionate sense of hope that it will be safe one day. By doing this project, I wanted to make a small difference in the lives of vulnerable people in South Africa. For this reason, I will be donating a percentage of profits from this project to an inspirational charity dedicated to helping street kids and gang members change their way of life called MyLife.

How were you able to gain access to these gang members?

While I was living in Dubai, I met Lionel Turner, a native from the Cape Flats who’s about seven feet tall. He used to be a cage fighter. Although he was never a part of any of the gangs, Lionel had amicable relationships with many of the gang members since his uncle was a general in the 28s, who is currently serving two life sentences in prison for chopping his friend’s head off and stashing it in the boot of his car. Lionel and I had a meeting in Dubai and then connected with the charity organization MyLife, who told us we were crazy to take all our equipment into the Cape Flats because there was a good chance we would be robbed or killed for it. They implored us to shoot in a studio, which I considered seriously, and for obvious reasons but shooting in a studio would have never been as interesting nor as honest or powerful. So the decision was made.