Filmmaking, dream-chasing and solo travel: A young filmmaker’s journey to Venice Film Festival
In 2025, South African filmmaker Kai Reynolds directed the documentary Before They Sold The Sky as part of his postgraduate film studies at the University of Cape Town.
This year, the recent graduate found himself on a trip of a lifetime as he accompanied the documentary to one of the biggest film festivals in the world: Venice Film Festival.
In an interview, Kai spoke to Travel News Blitz writer Zach Heynes about his documentary, his filmmaking journey, attending the Venice Film Festival, and his experience travelling across the world with his film and exploring the streets of Venice.
Introducing Kai Reynolds
Kai has been making films since he was sixteen in 2020, a product of lockdown restrictions.
In the beginning, he would get his sister to help him with the camera while he covered other bases, from writing and editing to acting and set design, and he would share them on YouTube.
“Since then, I have basically always been busy making something,” Kai said about his filmmaking journey.
And that certainly has been the case; From conducting personal projects with friends to his participation in local events such as the 48 Hour Film Project, and his studies as a screen production student at UCT, his catalogue has never stopped growing.
However, it was the film he directed for his Honours year at UCT that would lead to a truly bucket list-worthy experience.
“Before They Sold the Sky”
Before They Sold the Sky tells the story of Kai’s familial history in Cape Town, South Africa.
In it, he and his crew return to the physical places where his grandparents and great-grandparents had lived, including District Six and Walmer Estate.
A purpose of this was to attach stories and memories to physical places and to understand what has been lost from historical events such as forced removals due to the Apartheid regime.
Centring his own family history, Kai’s choice to tell a story ‘close to home’ was a deliberate one from the beginning.
“During my Honours at UCT in documentary filmmaking, we all had to pitch our doc ideas, and I remember that I wanted to do something about Cape Town,” Kai detailed.
“The idea of space really fascinated me and the politics of who owns the space and what it's made for were the things that intrigued me.”
Although his pitch was selected, it was actually a slightly different film from the final result.
“We ended up going the route of exploring my family's history of living in District Six and how that history is lived today in our current reality. Our participants ended up being my grandparents, Jane and Gilbert Lawrence, and Professor Siddique Motala.”
The documentary tells an intimate yet incredibly important, relatable story about ancestral history and physical spaces.
Receiving the news
Kai’s documentary was one of the films selected for Venice’s African Chiama event, and receiving the news was a huge but special shock.
Coincidentally, he found out the night before his birthday.
The announcement was a rollercoaster of emotions - between teary family celebrations, an overjoyed crew and a logistical whirlwind, the road to Venice was a busy one.
“I could barely believe what was happening. There wasn’t a lot of time before I’d have to leave, so when the initial shock dissipated it was very stressful trying to figure out the logistics. We couldn’t believe our documentary was going to Venice.”
One of Kai’s biggest dreams was to attend a major festival like Venice, and so for it to be with one of his films was “more than [he] could have ever imagined”.
It was also his first time travelling for a film, and he found the new experience exciting, but also heavily administrative, with visa organisation, public transport navigation and film bookings at the festival.
“I was nervous and a bit overwhelmed at times, but remembering why I was there served as a gentle reminder that I did belong.”
He also found comfort in being joined by a fellow South African filmmaker, Sivuyisiwe Nxawe, whose film was also at African Chiama.
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Welcome to Venice
Kai and Sivuyisiwe arrived in a “pretty late, pretty dark” Venice, so the sightseeing only truly began the next day.
They had an early start in Santa Marta, where they were staying, and Kai described it as scenic and beautiful.
“It felt like I was walking through a set on Othello. There were these tall orange and yellow blocks with washing lines in between. Very beautiful. ”
They had to travel by boat to get to Lido, a different island where the festival takes place, which was a 40-minute ride each way.
Once he successfully navigated through packed boats, confusing bus schedules and bustling queues, Kai wasn’t entirely sure where to go.
But in true solo travelling fashion, he found his way to the badge collection area by following the other festival-goers and their red lanyards.
The Venice Film Festival experience
The first place Kai had to go was the Palazzo del Cinema, the festival’s main area.
“Seeing it all for the first time was amazing. The big film posters, big flags, security and the crowds were really something. I barely got into my screening in time but it was very satisfying when I did finally take my seat.”
As the oldest film festival in the world, the size and organisation were expectedly impressive.
There was a virtual booking system, regular badge scanning and a daily newspaper that characterised the festival grounds beyond the crowds of bright blue tote bags.
Getting into films was its own scramble, and Kai mentioned that people take it “very seriously”.
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Sharing his story and representing South Africa
Kai and Sivuyise were members of the UNIMED Jury (Universities of the Mediterranean), who also got to vote on the films and give their own award to one of the filmmakers.
It was amongst the UNIMED Jury that Before They Sold the Sky was screened.
“Screening our documentary was really special. We are all a similar age, so speaking to them afterwards about Cape Town and my cultural background was an incredible experience.”
“Some people had no idea about District Six or the forced removals or how it shapes our current reality,” Kai said about representing his history on an international stage.
“I am very grateful for the experience of sharing my city and family’s story with the world. The South African ambassador was there too, along with a couple of European film producers and UNIMED Organisers. It felt great to represent my home like this.”
Exploring Venice beyond the films
While most of his time was spent at the festival, Kai did have some time to explore the old city of Lido.
However, perhaps rather predictably, he spent a lot of that free time filming with his Sony Handycam.
Kai shared a few of his solo missions with me.
“I spent a morning at a park called the Park of Remembrance on the opposite side of the city that I was staying at. The park was grassy and full of tall pine trees, which is not really the image of Venice that you expect.”
The Park of Remembrance got its name because a tornado destroyed the previous park and a few buildings - unbelievably, twice.
“There were also quite a few outdoor libraries where people leave books to exchange with strangers. I spent a lot of time watching the boats there too.”
He made sure to hit up the main tourist attractions too, including San Marco’s Square and the Rialto Bridge, which were packed with visitors.
However, a lot of his downtime was spent doing errands or at the shops, which in themselves were a new experience.
“I was entranced by the supermarkets there. I went to a Spar so there was this strange familiarity while basically recognising nothing on the shelves.”
And although many people speak about the Venice old city and iconic canals, there is clearly a hidden gem in between the noise…
“They don’t mess around with their biscuits and bread - They were delicious!”
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Boat rides and balance - the travel experience
There are surely countless memories and highlights from his Venice adventure, but there were a few things that particularly stood out.
“I really enjoyed walking everywhere. In the old city of Venice where I was staying, there were no cars or bikes,” Kai mentioned as a memorable observation.
“I have never visited a walking-centric city before,” Kai added about the car-less environment before a comparison to life back in Cape Town.
“I love Cape Town but it is a car-centric place. Venice is the complete opposite and you are literally walking through centuries-old streets and buildings. It is an immensely beautiful place.”
He further cited the unusual experience of living with so much boat travel in his everyday, and how unexpectedly unusual the experience was of getting used to not being on land all the time.
Walkability and boat rides aside, Kai had another major takeaway from his travels: the need for balance.
“Initially, I think I went into it a bit too intensely, and I think you have to just take your time with things,” he said.
“I was really scared I was going to ‘waste’ my opportunity, but you need to make sure that you pace yourself instead of burning out.”
Kai did manage to watch a whopping 18 films in the nine days he was there (amidst all his other activities and responsibilities), so I certainly think he made the most of his ticket into Venice Film Festival.
Final takeaways from a dream trip
From representing his country, culture and family history on a global stage, to attending the oldest film festival in the world, Kai’s journey to Venice was nothing short of a dream trip.
When asked about the primary lessons or takeaways he had from travelling solo, visiting Venice, and attending the festival, this is what he had to say.
“I have really grown to appreciate the world. I do love living in South Africa and appreciate my heritage but just seeing new cities and places helps me remind myself that I am a global citizen. This very large story that is the world includes me.”
His words here truly captured the wonder of travel perfectly, and to close, he shared one final lasting impact of the experience.
“The festival also gave me a goal. I loved being a part of it and I hope to go again someday. Hopefully, with a film in competition next time. “
To keep up with Kai’s future work, you can find him on Instagram.
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