'Monetary incentives' behind why Sean Penn's movie filmed in SA

12 May 2016 - 10:00 By Jessica Levitt
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Charlize Theron and Sean Penn.
Charlize Theron and Sean Penn.
Image: Supplied

Between August 2014 and July 2015 South African's were treated to regular sightings of Sean Penn and Charlize Theron as they shot scenes around the country for their movie The Last Face. But what makes SA so enticing for international film-makers?

Producer of the flick, Bill Gerber has explained that Sean Penn, who directed the film, scouted various locations including Liberia and Moravia, before finally settling on South Africa.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter Bill said that the decision to film in South Africa was not only because of the diverse landscapes across the country, but also because of massive incentives.

"The incentives (South Africa offers) are enticing - it's very provocative. And we also got lucky in that the exchange rates kept improving in our favour the longer we stayed down there."

The producer says that after numerous scouting jaunts, Sean Penn made the decision that locations across SA could "double the landscape accurately and that it would make for great filming."

The cast and crew filmed across the country at locations including Cape Town, Port Edward, Upington and the Northern Cape.

Bill says that besides doing a "gigantic amount of local casting" the South African crew was so good that Sean Penn refers to them as his "kick-ass South African crew" in the credits of the film. (Yay)

The Last Face is a contender of the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival currently underway.

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