What could possibly go wrong when a bunch of senior ladies trek through the Karoo, hellbent on an adventurous mission? According to ‘Die Kwiksilwers’ (The Quicksilvers), a whole lot could go wrong – and right…

• This is director Jordy Sank’s fictional feature film debut. His previous feature was the documentary ‘I Am Here’, which tells the story of the Capetonian Holocaust survivor Ella Blumenthal.
• The film’s key actresses have more than 150 years of acting experience between them.
• Catch Tat Wolfen’s entertainment commentary on The Sandton Times Hour, every Monday at 7pm on 91.9FM.
• Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za for more stories.

So often when people age, the roles of parent and child swap, and the offspring end up “parenting” their ageing folks, urging them to calm down and accept limitations which they may not even have. The Quicksilvers is the story of a gang of older women who refuse to deprive themselves of the joys that life still holds.

Elsabe Marais, a woman in her 80s (played by Namakwaland-born veteran actress Lida Botha), lost her husband a few months back, and spends her days in a purposeless haze. Her late husband had been keenly interested in space and the planets, and she can’t bring herself to cancel his monthly subscription to a magazine about these celestial bodies, because it’s her way of hanging onto a part of him. Elsabe’s son, who’s perhaps overly concerned about her well-being, has hired a caretaker to keep an eye on her, and is even considering having her put in a care facility.

Elsabe’s never read the mags, but one day pages through one after cleaning up a coffee spill, and encounters an advert for a stargazer’s event; a meteor shower viewing at the observatory in Sutherland. On impulse, she buys a ticket for herself and her son, thinking that they could both embark on this road trip as a tribute to his late father. But her son doesn’t entertain the notion, giving his work as an excuse. (And fear not, these story details aren’t “spoilers” – they’re merely the premise of the movie.)

After being initially defeated by this hurdle, Elsabe then turns to her next-door neighbour and best friend Anna (who sometimes gets on her last nerve, as only best friends can do). Anna is played by fellow veteran June van Merch, and the chemistry between these frenemies is a joy to behold. Ultimately, Elsabe and Anna assemble a posse of old gals, and decide to do the trip to the stars. After all, they can still drive, and the Quicksilver (Elsabe’s car) is big enough for all of them and their luggage. (Because a girl needs luggage!)

The film, as you may have guessed by its original title, is in Afrikaans, but if you’re Afrikaans-deficient, moenie worry nie, as it’s served by very accurate and easy-to-follow subtitles.

In recent years, we’ve been force-fed a seemingly unending diet of “girl power” movies, so The Quicksilvers turns that genre on its head by being an “old-girl-power’ movie, and what a refreshing change that is. In the same way as women will never understand the magical bond that exists between “bro’s”, I suspect that younger folk and men will never quite get under the skin of friendships between senior women. Fortunately, we can still witness it and marvel at it, as we do in this gloriously amusing comedy-drama.

Die Kwiksilwers opens on the local cinema circuit on 2 May 2025.

Tat Wolfen is a multimedia communicator, entertainment commentator and leisure journalist. Tune in for Tat’s razor-sharp takes on the latest on stage and screen, every week on The Sandton Times Hour – Mondays at 7pm on 91.9FM or on a fine selection of the world’s leading podcast platforms. [Disclaimer: Views expressed by reviewers/contributors are their own, and do not necessarily reflect those of The Sandton Times and its ownership or management.]

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