Legendary actor Vusi Kunene had to dig deep to pull out a great performance in new film Seconds.
The seasoned actor plays a lead role in Seconds, which premiered on Amazon Prime on June 2.
Kunene portrays the role of a veteran boxer.
Kunene stars alongside Mmabatho Mogomotsi, Toni Caprari, Carl Nel, Matie Van Graan and Adrian Alper, among others.
Directed by Liese Kuhn and written by Andrico Goosen, Seconds tells the heartfelt story of Seconds Khumalo, an aging boxer from the East Rand.
Speaking at the film’s screening, Kunene said: “I know that people have always regarded me as Jack Mabaso [a role he played on Generations and Generations: The Legacy]… but I thought with Seconds, the script was directing me and I allowed it to do so. So, the approach was different but the only thing that made me work hard was boxing because of its technicalities.”
Initially, the movie was a theatre show that was written in 2018-2019.
Beyond the sport of boxing, Seconds exposes a compelling tapestry of human emotions, revealing the complexities of love, loyalty and the search for identity.
The story is based in a small town where Afrikaaners still reigns supreme and is feared.
In the film, Seconds, a boxer, has to fight until he dies so as to repay a man who has given him a place to stay, a job and even taken his son to school.
“As the narrative unfolds, long-buried secrets and unresolved traumas begin to surface, causing tensions to rise. As Seconds’ son, Lukas Khumalo, embarks on a promising political career,his aspirations unknowingly strain his father’s relationship with Pa Van Tonder, the patriarch of the family.
“What follows is a journey of self-discovery as Seconds fights not only for his boxing career but also for the restoration of his family and reclaiming his own life.”
One of the executive producers of the film, Vuyelwa Booi, said: “We are very excited to see this beautiful work of art come to life.
“This is new territory for us doing a sports drama movie. We decided to commission it because it was a beautiful story to tell. The journey has been phenomenal.”
The film is set to debut on eVOD on July 13.
Though his aging body is no longer allowing him to fight, his boss keeps demanding more in the ring from him.
Kuhn said: “In Seconds, the team delves into the complex dynamics of the Khumalo family and the Van Tonder family, for whom Seconds has trained as a boxer while working at their family butchery.
