Director's Statement of Intent

I come from a background of theatre and mime but I want to put my energy into creating things that travel beyond me and create a ripple effect that goes on and on. At 23, after the success of 'Esther, for such a time as this,' (a musical production which I directed and co-wrote) I decided to give myself five years in which time to direct my first movie. Since then I got married, had twin daughters, bought a house, ran a novelty business, sold it, produced four stage shows, did extensive children's and corporate entertainment work... and finally the fifth year comes to a close with the realisation of the dream: Engagement: the Movie.

People want to hear stories - stories that can capture their interest and transport them into another reality. I want to tell stories about another Reality that is, essentially, more real than the one we live in everyday. It is the Ultimate Spiritual Reality that, like it or not, influences every person that has ever lived and the way each life plays out. Engagement is one of those stories. It is a modern day parable: a captivating story in it's own right, yet one that is interlaced with deeper truth. I hope that everything I create will be multi-faceted in content, appealing to a broad spectrum of people for a variety of reasons. Engagement, I believe, has these qualities.

Mark and I want to develop a 'blue-print' and strategy of making these types of movies for a fraction of the traditional cost and distributing them direct to our target audience (which is primarily in and through the Christian Churches) in a unique way, that still maintains the experience of 'going to the movies'. If we are successful, perhaps we'll see the growth of a unique and viable film industry in South Africa which can cater for this international market.

Engagement is a story that Mark and I have had in mind for many years and for almost as long, we have known it would become our first movie. In Nov 2003 we felt the time was right to make the transition and begin the project. So we started to 'speak it into being' and it began to take shape.

It seemed crazy - why tackle a feature-length movie first? But the most notable success stories in my life have been the ones where I've tackled something I knew from the outset was beyond my capabilities and experience at that time... So my confidence lies more in my partnership with the Master Creator, than in myself.

One of the lines that capture the essence of Engagement is this: 'some things [that are lost] can be found again; some ruins can be rebuilt - that's why I'm here'.
In life some things that are precious to us are lost through circumstance, some through ignorance and some we throw away. It doesn't matter how or why a life is in ruins, the reality is that love, Great Love, can rebuild ruined lives and broken relationships.

So my intention is that the way we have made Engagement will be an inspiration; that the story will make you laugh, cry, sigh, and jump in your seat; and that the message will be life-changing. Enjoy!

Bryony Roughton