I Am Woman Leap of Faith
Llewelyn Roderick died from brain cancer in 2012 after a brave and spirited fight. He was a founding member of the Leap of Faith team.
Watch a Tribute to Llew
We all called him Llew, and if you say this in his mother tongue, Afrikaans, it sounds like Leeu (Lion) – passionate, close to nature, strong, resilient. Llew lived with passion and fought the cancer that came into his life like a lion. Llewelyn approached every film project with unlimited enthusiasm and committment. His insatiable curiosity, ability to see the world with fascination and hear people’s stories with real interest and compassion led him to be a superb filmmaker and human being.
He built a body of award-winning work spanning many disciplines and styles. Awards include the short film Blow – winner of the “Shoot Goals, Shoot Movie” competition at the Berlin Film Festival, several awarded commercials, music videos and TV dramas. In 2012 he worked with Plexus Films to develop I Am Woman/Leap of Faith for SABC3. As director on the series he brought immense understanding for the stories being told as well as great skill as a filmmaker. His film from the series about ordained lesbian minister, Judith Kotze, recently screened at Out in Africa Film Festival and touched many lives.
His filmmaker biography states: ‘Llewelyn Roderick is fascinated by the human condition. His passion for peoples’ stories has launched him on a variety of journeys, always looking for ways to celebrate life’. He adds: ‘I think that once you have achieved a certain level of technical skill as a director that your real growth and contribution you make in your work is finding a way to bring as much of your personal experience to bear as possible. Your point of view.’
Llewelyn did not live to a ripe old age, but he lived immensely. He drank deep from the complex well of experiences presented to him. He always brought this personal experience and a clear strong point of view to a project and it was a privilege to know and work with him.
He will be deeply missed and profoundly remembered by his filmmaker friends and colleagues. These are the three beautiful episodes Llewelyn directed:
