: Bustin Bonaparte: The movie based on the novel "The Story of an African Farm"

RICHARD E. GRANT AS "BONAPARTE BLENKINS"

In 1987 Richard E. Grant starred in the cult hit, Withnail and I. He has gone on to work for major directors like Robert Altman in Gosford Park, The Player and Prêt-a-Porter, for Francis Ford Coppola in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, in Martin Scorsese’s period piece The Age of Innocence and starred in Steve Martin’s bittersweet comedy, L.A Story. Other features include another cult classic Hudson Hawk, the adventure Mountains of the Moon and the romantic comedy Jack and Sarah.

"When I read the script I thought that Bonaparte Blenkins, the con man, was such a great comic character that I didn’t hesitate to accept the role. This movie features children, dogs, ostriches,carriages, horses, 1870’s costumes and wigs, set on an isolated Karoo farmstead. It has a wonderfully rich mix of characters, and a lot of humour. Blenkins is an actor’s dream part, especially as he’s so eccentric."

ARMIN MUELLER-STAHL AS "OTTO"

Born in 1930, Mueller-Stahl has worked with all the important German directors, including Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Andrzej Wajda and István Szabó and won prestigious awards on the festival circuits. His American debut was a role as Jessica Lange’s father in Music Box (1989). Then followed a list of films, including Avalon (1990), Utz (1993), a favourite among his roles - and of course, Shine (1996) in which he was nominated for an Oscar.

“I was attracted to the role of Otto because he is a true believer. He makes the world a better place
and he keeps justice in the family and on the farm. He is a good man but once I started portraying him, I discovered the grey areas in his character. This makes him human and complex. At first glance he seems gentle, almost too good to be true, but there’s a complicated depth to him."

ASHA KROPINSKI AS "LYNDALL"

There's a new name to add to the list of South African's becoming stars in Hollywood and that's the twelve-year-old Kasha Kropinski. She acted in the television series The Shield and landed the lead in a Broadway play, but this is her first feature.

"I've done lots of voice-overs, for example the puppies in the movie 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure. I got to be a vampire in the TV series Angel, which was a lot of fun. I did a voiceover for a Romanian girl in the movie The Hunted and a voice-over in The Cat In The Hat with Mike Myers".

KARIN VAN DER LAAG AS “TANT SANNIE”

Well known to South African audiences for her role as Maggie in the critically acclaimed local television series Isidingo, van der Laag brings the naïve, gullible character of Tant Sannie to life on the big screen.

To help her get into character for the role van der Laag put on 15kgs, which she believes was worth the effort, as it literally added to Tant Sannie's presence in the children's lives on the farm.

ANNEKE WEIDEMANN AS "EM"
and LUKE GALLANT AS "WALDO"

After an exhausting nationwide search to cast these roles, the producers took a gamble with Weidemann and Gallant who are both first time actors. Under the guidance of experienced director David Lister, Weidemann and Gallant shine in their roles as Em and Waldo.

The gamble has paid off and is exactly the performances the producers needed to balance the good and evil, innocence and treachery, in the film.

Showing at the USA Westside Pavilion Cinemas Los Angeles, Quad Cinema New York