Amazon’s first original SA film, The Shakedown, showcases unique “South Africanness” – Ari Kruger

South African comedy has moved beyond Leon Schuster slapstick to stand toe-to-toe with international standards, says Ari Kruger the director of Amazon’s first original South African film, The Shakedown. Kruger, who is the co-founder of Sketchbook Studios, wrote and directed the film, which is the first original South African film commissioned by Amazon. The other co-founder of Sketchbook is his wife, Julia Anastasopoulos, better known as SuzelleDIY, who portrays Natalia Diamond in the film. The Shakedown follows a broker entangled in an affair that leads to extortion, prompting him to seek assistance from his brother in the underworld. In an interview with BizNews Kruger said he is inspired by real life, particularly by South African characters found in the underworld. He said he sees “South Africanness as our currency” expressing hope that a global audience would find the film interesting. With the backing of Amazon, Kruger benefitted from a larger budget and creative collaboration that introduced an “international way of working.” The streaming giant has, since the making of The Shakedown, retracted from the South African market, but Kruger is optimistic that they would come back.