Leading Lady

Jodi Rutherford is a British drama teacher who aspires to become a film star. To prepare for a role as an Afrikaans war heroine, she travels to South Africa and convinces a cynical farmer named Kobus Willemse to coach her. In exchange for his help, Jodi agrees to direct the annual concert held on the Willemse farm. Through her experiences with Kobus and the eccentric residents of the small town, she begins to question whether her professional ambitions are more important than the authentic life she discovers in the countryside.

Directed by Henk Pretorius, this was the first of two films he directed, followed by The Unfamiliar in 2020. The screenplay was written by Pretorius and Tina Kruger. The film stars Katie McGrath as Jodi Rutherford and Bok van Blerk as Kobus Willemse, with a credited cast of 42 actors including Gil Bellows, Brümilda van Rensburg, André Stolz, and Eduan van Jaarsveldt. This South African comedy-drama produced by Dark Matter Studios has received moderate reception from audiences. It holds a rating of 5.7/10 on IMDb based on 931 votes and a rating of 5.5/10 on TMDB from 30 votes.