Anton Scholtz and Micheal Minnie’s short film, Katvis, has a run time of just 24 minutes. Despite its brevity, the film is a beautifully complex, honest and respectful portrayal of the anguish of infertility and the burden of fault. A masterclass of clever filmmaking, Katvis has no need to fish for compliments.
The film was screened at the Neelsie Cinema on 13 October, as part of the 2022 Toyota Woordfees film festival, and tells the story of Lize (Erica Wessels) and her husband, Willem (Stiaan Smith).
The opening scene takes place in a doctor’s office, where the couples’ dreams of being parents are derailed by the news of Willem’s infertility. Pressure from her family, concerns over the affordability of fertility treatment, and the looming threat of her own biological clock, drive Willem and Lize to explore an unconventional plan.
Katvis’ executive producers include KykNET, Silwerskerm and IdeaCandy. The film can also be watched on DSTV.
Finding fault
The film works because it feels like it could happen – the characters’ choices aren’t unfathomable and their pain is real.
“I could totally be in her shoes,” said Hanlie Visser, who attended the screening. “We went through the same pain, anguish, longing and waiting,” she says of her own experience with infertility.
Visser says that the film ultimately criticises how the blame always seems to land on women when it comes to infertility. “Willem says ‘Don’t put that on me’, but where does that leave [Lize]?” says Visser.
Anton Scholtz and Micheal Minnie’s short film, Katvis, was screened at the Neelsie Cinema on 13 October as part of the 2022 Toyota US Wordfees. It exemplified beautifully complex, honest and respectful storytelling. PHOTO: Jamie Venter
Yellow-belly
The use of colour is a well-executed story device in Katvis. In a scene where Lize and Willem are sitting together on a couch, a lamp emitting a pale yellow light sits behind Lize – bathing her in a warm glow. In contrast, Willem sits on the other end of the couch, lit by a white light that is sterile and cold.
This is repeated in the nursery scene, where a similar yellow lamp lights up Lize and the harsh white light of the window falls on Willem. The yellow light is warm and nurturing, while the white light is sterile – reflecting Willem’s infertility. Yellow may also reflect Lize’s cowardice to challenge the pressure placed on her by her husband, family and her own biological clock.
Who is catfished?
The titular catfish motif appears throughout the film; In a tank at the doctor’s office, painted on the wall of the unused nursery, and mounted at the bar.
The act of catfishing someone is to change one’s identity to deceive another, and while this makes up the premise of the film in an obvious way, there is more to it than that. Lize and Willem fail to accept their dreams of being parents may never come to fruition, and deceive themselves.
“I could totally be in her shoes,” said Hanlie Visser, who attended the screening of the short film, Katvis. “We went through the same pain, anguish, longing and waiting,” she adds about her own experience with infertility. PHOTO: Sourced/Woordfees