Ahead of the movie’s debut at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), MovieWeb can exclusively debut a clip of The Umbrella Men. The film will be holding its world premiere on Sept. 10, 2022, followed by an additional two public screenings along with press and industry screenings through TIFF. For now, you can get a sneak peek at The Umbrella Men by watching our clip below.
In the clip, Jerome (Jaques Da Silva) is met outside the Goema Club by Mortimer (Keenan Arrison) and Mila (Bronté Snell). Disheartened by Mila handing him an eviction notice, Jerome discusses the bank’s unwillingness to reach an agreement over their one million Rand debt. Mila believes that they could settle this by running events such as corporate gigs, jazz, and dance evenings. Jerome is not convinced, and is faced with the harsh reality that he may lose everything that his family has built over the years.
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The Umbrella Men is directed by John Barker (Bunny Chow: Know Thyself, Isibaya) who also wrote alongside Philip Roberts. It stars Jaques Da Silva, Shamilla Miller (Love Lies and Hybrids), Keenan Arrison (Atlantis), and Bronte Snell (Atlantis). The film is produced by Joel Phiri, Dan Jawitz, Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri, Themba Mfebe, and John Barker. The music is written by South African Jazz pianist Kyle Shepard.
The Umbrella Men Is a Caper Heist Comedy
The Umbrella Men draws inspiration and comparisons to similar genre movies like The LadyKillers, Set It Off, The Inside Man, Sexy Beast, The Italian Job, and Ocean’s Eleven, among others. It is described as an “incredible cinematic ride, embracing the best of caper heist comedy set in the colorful and culture-rich Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town.” The movie follows a troupe of musicians who are forced to rob a bank during the city’s Carnival in an effort to save their beloved nightclub, a spiritual home to their whole community.
The movie has garnered strong reviews in South Africa, with The Sunday Times noting that “through the ‘Afrikaaps’ phrases, nuances, and humor, Barker has beautifully captured a marginalized and often misrepresented culture.” It is currently being sold in Toronto by Known Associates Entertainment.
The Umbrella Men premieres at TIFF on Sept. 10, 2022. You can check out the official trailer and synopsis for the movie below. Some of the other comedies that will be featured at TIFF include Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Stories Not to Be Told, and the anticipated Daniel Radcliffe-led “Weird Al” Yankovic biopic Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. For more, check out our complete breakdown of TIFF’s comedy selection.
Jerome returns to Cape Town to bury his father. He is surprised to learn that his father has left him the jazz club (The Goema), and the club’s minstrel troupe - The Umbrella Men. Just as he is getting used to the idea of owning a club, Jerome discovers the bank is foreclosing the club, unless he can come up with a million rand in cash within 14 days.
