“From Dust We Spin”, a new feature documentary by Tribeca award-winning filmmaker Julia Jansch, will have its world premiere at this year’s Durban International Film Festival.
Set in the Cape Flats, the film follows an 18-year-old woman who finds purpose in the outlawed world of car spinning while navigating mental health struggles, alongside a coach using the sport to keep young people away from gangsterism.
The project began when Jansch was working on a Disney Plus production and met a production runner named Mark Linden, who operated a programme called “Slip and Slide” in Mitchell’s Plain, and introduced her to the sport of spinning, which involves modified cars in backyard settings, as a method to engage local youth and keep them away from gangs and drugs.
Jansch initially dismissed the concept but returned to the project after observing Minister of Sport and Culture Gayton McKenzie discuss the legalisation of spinning.
The award-winning filmmaker connected with Logan, a female learner who was learning to spin. The production spanned a two-year journey, documenting Logan’s growth from Grade 11 through the completion of matric, while simultaneously tracking spinning’s search for legitimacy.
When it comes to documentary filmmaking, consent and integrity are such important parts; Jansch explained that showing an authentic story was important and how Logan guided them.
“You can’t show anything false; it just becomes immediately apparent,” said Jansch.
“Her courage in opening up about really difficult stuff that’s happened to her, including suicide and mental health, took immense courage.
“In terms of continued consent, often we would do a take, and she would share something, and then we would pause the camera, and we would check in? How are you feeling? We would play her back moments of the film.”
Logan seeing her developing story inspired her each step of the way and was beautiful for Jansch’s to see, describing it almost like therapy.
Spinning may not be respected as a traditional motorsport by some, but to the spinning community it has become their pride and joy. According to reports, spinning is deeply rooted in South African culture and has been happening for over 30 years.
For years, spinning has sparked intense debate, frequently dismissed by critics who label it as inherently perilous. While the sport only achieves legality within the confines of designated, regulated arenas and sanctioned events, it remains a prohibited activity when performed on public thoroughfares or in unauthorized settings.
Jansch recalls being worried thinking about all the waivers when the camera guys would get in the cars with the spinners. Jansch revealed that when it came to the making of the documentary, there was a version that was more politically heavy with commentary from politicians like JP Smith and McKenzie, but in the end they went for the version that shed a light on Logan’s story.
“A big part of Mark’s gripe with spinning in the Western Cape, particularly in Mitchell’s Plain, is that there’s no legal place to spin. There’s no pitch where you can just show up, and what ends up happening is it happens illegally, and you get these illegal events.
“There are a lot of shades of grey because there are organisations, they’re also in our movie, like spin, which are in touch with the government, which are working out slots and times to spin and demarcated areas and times.”
Reflecting on the documentary film’s world premiere, Jansch describes it as being “special”, especially since home gets to see it before the world does.
They always premiere elsewhere, and then they kind of come home. But we didn’t want to do it that way because spinning is hot now and the story is hot now in South Africa.
“DIFF being one of the biggest and Oscar-qualifying festivals is huge for us, and then we have our Western Cape premiere at Silwerskermfees thereafter, which is also very exciting for us.”
The 47th Durban International Film Festival (DIFF) is the longest–running film festival on the African continent and is taking place from July 23 to August 2.
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