Back to Square one for top actors Motlatsi and Matli!

ACTORS Motlasi Mafatshe and Matli Mohapeloa have been friends through thick and thin.

The duo met in 2004 while studying at the Africa Film Drama Art (Afda).

Twenty-one years later, they’re still as thick as thieves.

Motlatsi and Matli recently launched their production company, Back To Square 1 Films, and they are set to release their first film, titled Family & Rugby.

They spoke to Daily Sun about brotherhood, films and the future.

“Motlatsi and I have been acting for about 20 years now. But we’ve also known each other before that. We were friends from when we met each other at school.

“We were actors, but we also created our own plays and films. Before we graduated, while we were in our second and third years, we got cast on When We Were Black, which aired in 2006. We were besties on that show, Casper and Fistos, and it made a big impact in the industry,” Matli said.

The actor said although they’ve been focusing on acting, they’ve always wanted to produce.

“After school, our careers started growing. We started getting different roles. He went to film in Cape Town, and I went to Rhythm City. As the years went by, we progressed. But we always knew at some point, we needed to create our own shows.

“We don’t just have our acting sides but the creative side, which were developed since Afda days. Like it says in the Bible in Isaiah, when the time is right, the Lord will make it happen.

“In 2022, we formed the company. It was God. He made everything available to us at that moment. We named it Back To Square 1 Films because it’s a line from a scene in When We Were Black,” he said.

Motlatsi said their friendship has lasted because they’ve stayed true to each other.

“I believe that it was God’s plan. When we met, we were fresh and had a dream. We realised in order to achieve our dreams, we needed to stick together. We lived in the same house and did so many together. We’ve cried, fought and experienced everything a friendship can go through. We stuck it through as brothers.

“The secret is being genuine. When we met, we were nobodies. Today, we are somebodies, and we’re pushing we’re still together. We have each other’s backs,” he said.

Their film Family & Rugby will premiere on eVOD on 27 February.

It follows a talented rugby player from a disadvantaged background.

Matli said the film was inspired by his childhood.

“I’ve got a strong connection to the Eastern Cape. That’s where my mum is from in Whittlesea. I went to school there at Queens College, which is where we filmed this, from primary to high school. I remember when I was in primary, the school used to give scholarships to guys from rural areas.

“It was mostly cricket scholarships back then. I would see the change it made in these kids’ lives. So that’s where the concept came from. A story of hope. I’d see young boys from the most hopeless homes, and the school gave them hope to achieve their full potential,” he said.

Motlatsi expressed their excitement about finally having their movie broadcast.

“This is a dream come true. It’s beyond us having being on TV. Now it’s our show. We’ve created something from nothing. It’s directed by Thomas Gumede, whom we also went to school with. We share these 21 years of friendship together. Creating this together has been a blessing,” he said.