Multi-talented media personality, Kuli Roberts is back in the acting space, and will feature in Netflix’s upcoming original movie Angeliena.
Angeliena, a modern day, post-apartheid South African movie, is set in Cape Town, where Roberts hails from, so being part of such a production is a special moment for her, she explains, especially being from Langa and raised in Athlone and Kuilsriver.
“It was really beautiful being on the film. Absolutely amazing to go back to where you are from, hearing those slang words that raised you, and seeing faces that I was raised with, you know, was just magical,” she said.
Roberts joins a sterling cast, including Euodia Samson, Tshamano Sebe, Colin Moss, Thapelo Mokoena, Nicole Madell, Marciel Hopkins, Schalk Bezuidenhout, Sandra Prinsloo and Toya Delazy.
The film follows the journey of formerly homeless parking attendant, Angeliena, played by Euodia Samson, who is diagnosed with a fatal disease and dares to put her lifelong dream of travelling the world in motion.
“Tina is very much like Kuli. She pretends she’s strong, she’s loud, bright colours and has a go-getter attitude, but inside she’s a lamb. She’s been hurt, she’s been damaged and all she can do is just protect this little group of friends that she has – one of which is Angeliena,” she explains.
Roberts describes the film as a tale of a community of women who live in Ocean View (with no ocean), a community of people who were dumped and face multiple issues together and individually.
“Once again, apartheid rears its head in 2021, exposing how useless we have been as South Africans that things like that have not been changed and that people are still living in squalor 21 years later. What I find amazing about the film is that, despite the poverty, these women have the most amazing spirits and amazing hearts.
Roberts stars as Tina and describes the film as a story of friendship, about supporting each other in life, and also about being seen.
“Being seen because I don't feel that I'm being seen in this country, at all. I've made such a contribution, and yet I don't feel that I'm being seen. So I relate a lot to that story, I feel like I am in this little world, just dumped there and ignored by the world,” she said.
“The film really comes across as having all the rejects together, being friends and the support they give each other regardless of what they do in life,” she said.
Roberts is no stranger to the acting space, having joined Mzansi Magic’s cast on The Queen as Mildred Sefatsa last year May, and she feels that she can do anything that she wants to do without being placed in a box.
Speaking on how she bagged the character, Roberts explains that she met the director Uga Carlini 15 years ago, who was busy writing the film and when all was ready, she was given the job on the spot because of how suited she was for the role.
“I never thought I would be on Netflix, for any reason. So this moment right here is so surreal and very special to me,” she says.
Sunday Independent