While the job market may not enable you to find employment quickly, try to find opportunities that will work for you, and follow your heart and instincts because doing so will always pay off.

These were the inspirational words from acclaimed film producer Anant Singh to DUT’s soon-to-be graduands. This morning (Wednesday, 03 September 2014), Singh was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Arts and Design in recognition of his tremendous work in using film in the opposition of apartheid.

His Honorary Doctorate was conferred at the University’s Fred Crookes Sports Centre, Steve Biko Campus, where a total of 981 students will graduate by the end of today (Wednesday, 03 September 2014), bringing the University’s 2014 graduand count to 6474. Last year (2013), 5977 students graduated at the University.

“There are many challenges that will come your way, but as Madiba said, ‘it always seems impossible until it is done’. Embrace that and make your own destiny. We need to commit ourselves to continuing the legacy of Madiba and all our other leaders who have given their lives to our freedom. We need to make South Africa the best country for all who live in it,” said Singh while addressing soon-to-be graduands of the faculties of Arts and Design, Accounting and Informatics, Applied Sciences and Health Sciences.

Singh’s career as a film maker started while he was at Sastri College, Durban, where he ran the programme of showing films to pupils at the school. During those early years, he also pursued his love for film by working for a film store for R1 a day. While he desperately wanted to study film, apartheid laws at the time prohibited this as the only film school in the country was reserved for White people only.

Film school not being an option, he enrolled for Engineering at the then UDW (now UKZN) at his mother’s insistence. His heart still in film and armed with pure passion, he later left UDW and purchased a 16mm movie rental store. “I decided to take my chances and go into the film business. I told myself that if it didn’t work out, I’d go back and try some academic qualification. This is not to say that you have done the wrong thing. If anything, you have worked hard and done very well. For me, it was the right thing at the time,” he said.

Singh embraced the challenges of being an entrepreneur and went into the film business. His mother however later accepted his decision and supported him in his career, which went on to become hugely successful.

To date, Singh has produced over 80 films and is responsible for many of the great anti-apartheid films made in SA, including the adaptation of Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom which was produced in 2013, Yesterday with Director, Darrel James Roodt, which was South Africa’s first film to be nominated for an Academy Award (in the Best Foreign Language Picture category) in 2005, the Peabody Award and an Emmy in 2006. His other work includes Sarafina, Cry, the Beloved Country, Paljas and Red Dust.

Singh is the co-owner of Cape Town Film Studios, a state-of-the-art film studio facility, which has hosted many foreign film shoots, including big-budget Hollywood productions. He is currently developing a film studio complex on the Natal Command site situated along Durban’s Golden Mile. “The Durban Film City (at the Natal Command site), will be a unique development which will not only benefit the film industry, but also the people of Durban, KZN and South Africa,” he said.

His other achievements include being appointed by former President Thabo Mbeki to the Creative Collective body which was responsible for the organisation of South Africa’s 10 years of freedom celebrations in 2004. Along with Quincy Jones, Ravi Shankar, Nadine Gordimer and Lord David Puttnam, he is the recipient of the Crystal Award of the World Economic Forum. He has also received honorary doctorates from UDW (now UKZN) and the University of Port Elizabeth.

“Film is a collaborative effort. Thousands of people come together to make a movie possible. It’s those people I share this award (honorary doctorate) with as without them, I wouldn’t be here. It took me 25 years to make Long Walk to Freedom. I began writing to Madiba while he was still in prison.
Many challenges followed, and we finally got the film made a few years ago. We are very proud it,” he said, before thanking his family, colleagues as well as DUT lecturers and Professors who impart knowledge on the University’s students.

– Sinegugu Ndlovu

Pictured: DUT Honorary Doctorate recipient Anant Singh.