Springboks captain Siya Kolisi hopes his documentary Rise – The Siya Kolisi Story inspires people to chase their dreams after it won the audience award at the international Tribeca Film Festival in New York recently.
The film, written and directed by Africa’s most decorated director Tebogo Malope, tells the story of Kolisi from his upbringing in Gqeberha, his foundation at Grey College, and how he has conquered the world of sports.
Kolisi, 32, made history in 2018 by becoming the first black person to captain the South African rugby national team, which went on to lift the prestigious Webb Ellis trophy.
Upon winning the audience award, the ruby sensation said he was truly honored for the opportunity to share his story.
“I hope my journey inspires people to chase their dreams and remind others to never allow adverse circumstances to define our lives,” Kolisi said.
“We are more than products of our environments and we have the potential to change our respective narratives.
“Our win at Tribeca is very important to me and my team, and we are excited about how far this film travels across the world and maybe make it to the Academy.”
Malope also weighed in on the victory, saying he wanted nothing more than to tell Kolisi’s story the best way possible.
“We have won the biggest award, the audience award for best doccie film. We were also the only fully African film showcased at the festival and we are thrilled we won,” he said.
“As a director, I am very particular and intentional with the stories I get to tell, and there was nothing I wanted more than to tell Siya’s story in the way we told it.”
With Kolisi out nursing a knee injury, the Boks will be led by Duane Vermeulen in their opening Castle Lager Rugby Championship clash against Australia at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday.
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