5 Star

Survival Under the Sun.

Indie actor/writer/director Kevin Singh (Tokolosh) brings his third film. Thirst was a brave undertaking due to the subject matter and the conditions of the film location and all done on a zero budget of just $13,000. He brings us a full cinematic experience in his 1hr 51min film, filmed on location in Namib Desert, Namibia and South Africa.

March 1991, all American PoW’s who fought in Desert Storm are to be released. 11 soldiers remain unaccounted for.

Secret PoW Camp

Somewhere in the Persian Gulf Desert, We see eleven soldiers buried up to their necks in the desert sands with a couple of guards and their commander. With the Americans winning the war he has a dilemma with these gagged and blindfolded enemy soldiers, what to do with them so that the figures match up. He fires on his guards and frees the prisoners but is killed in the crossfire. Now there are injured and dead prisoners and a truck and old tracks in the sand to indicate the way back to civilisation.

Ryan Temple (Edwin Gagiano, Run or Die) is in charge and he says leave the dead where they lie, this doesn’t go down well with the other survivors, but the injured Le Rue (Nickey van Heerden) is loaded up onto the back of the truck.

Back in 1985 in Rainbow Valley Texas three young guys share a dodgy cigarette, John McDaniels (Monré Aucamp), Danny Hooper (Proetic) and Poodle (Marco Alvaro Truter). They are High School friends, Danny and John being the best of friends and this is their strong point until one day there is a new girl in class after her family moved from Canada, Hope Fowler (Sarah Kozlowski, Bond of Blood).

As soon as John lays his eyes on her he is smitten and later he asks her out and they start a relationship, but John is a young man who likes a drink and he soon messes up and Hope dumps him. This is where his wingman Danny comes in, John sends Danny over to talk her round to going out with him again. But love does not always flow in the direction you want it to, as Hope fancies Danny and they are soon an item that doesn’t sit well with other Texans seeing a mixed race couple.

But things are in a relationship are complicated and John and Hope once again come together for a brief encounter due to Danny’s behaviour. This tests the two boys friendship. But friends that choose to be together the bond is strong when one calls the other ‘brother’.

Back in the desert Danny, John, Ryan, Trillo (Gerald Copeland), Frank Donaldson (Kyle Ryan Diffenthal, The Siege of Jadotville) and Jake Long (Joseph Jones Umba) have a hard decision as their truck breaks down and they have to set out on foot. This is  the crux of the film as these men set out and try and follow the tracks to freedom. The toll that thirst and heat takes on each individual as the chain of command is tested to breaking point and friendships stretched to their limits. Watch out for the twist at the end, ouch.

Who will survive this burning Hell of the Desert?

Thirst is an an amazing feat of indie cinematography and all done with fresh talent.

Thirst will be released in late September, watch this space for dates and the interview with director Kevin Singh and lead actor Monré Aucamp.