Sam Neill In Skin Trailer

Apartheid. It’s not a new subject to be covered by film but I’m not quite sure I’ve ever seen a story quite like this one.

Skin is based on the life story of Sandra Laing, a black woman born to white parents in 1955 Apartheid divided South Africa. If not looking like your parents, siblings, family or community during such a difficult time was not bad enough, her parents were both members of the National Party and supporters of the Apartheid system. Laing’s life was not an easy one. At 15, she eloped with a black man and was essentially excommunicated from her family and the community, not seeing her family again until shortly before her mother died in 2000.

The film is directed by Anthony Fabian who has made a few other films, none of which I’ve seen, and stars Sophie Okonedo (who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Hotel Rwanda and who played Sithandra, the four handed woman in Æon Flux) as Sandra and the great Sam Neill and Alice Krige (the Bog Queen!) as her parents.

I’m not certain how far the film covers Laing’s life and I actually hadn’t heard anything about this story until I saw the trailer and now I’m curious to read the apparently excellent book “When She Was White: The True Story of a Family Divided”. As for the trailer itself, I’m completely overlooking the over dramatic music and even more melodramatic voice over because the visuals really sell the story for me.

Skin is scheduled to open on October 3rd.

Trailer is tucked under the seat!