The remarkable performance of South African actress Kim Engelbrecht in the local crime series “Reyka” has garnered her a nomination for “Best Actress” at the 2022 International Emmy Awards.
The M-Net show was also nominated for “Best Drama” at the upcoming International Emmy Awards, which will be held on November 21 in New York City.
During a recent interview with Nick Hamman on “5 Drive,” Engelbrecht stated, “The nomination means more than you could ever realize, not only to me but to the entire business.”
The former “Isidingo” actor claimed that she was unaware of the show’s International Emmy eligibility.
“I was completely unaware that Reyka was nominated for an International Emmy. I was unaware that the producing company had gone to such lengths.
“I realized we were a part of something extraordinary when we were creating the program during the Covid period. This is a bonus; you do not participate in the show so that it can win something. For all of us, the fact that it had accomplished this and traveled thus far was remarkable.
The 42-year-old actress noted that, in recent years, local productions have been displaying the country’s finest talent on a global scale with outstanding works.
“The exceptional quality of our programming is evidently appealing to a worldwide audience. The world is falling in love with our cadence and melody, as well as with what we have to say.”
Below is the complete interview.
Criminal profiler Reyka Gama investigates a succession of gruesome killings committed by a serial killer in the sugar cane fields of KwaZulu-Natal in the Showmax series “Reyka.”
The series swings between the past and present of Reyka. In 1994, when apartheid was coming to an end, Angus Speelman stole 11-year-old Reyka and sexually molested her for four years.
Reyka escaped at the age of 16, while her captor was finally apprehended and put to prison.
Engelbrecht won ‘Best Actress’ at the sixteenth annual South African Film and Television Awards for her performance in “Reyka.”
“Reyka” is co-produced by Serena Cullen and Harriet Gavshon of Quizzical Pictures in the United Kingdom and South Africa, respectively.
“It’s good that South African talent gets recognized,” Gavshon stated.
“The Reyka team was wonderful, and the shoot, although being in the midst of a Covid plague, was quite remarkable.
“Each member of the cast and crew was aware that they were contributing to an extraordinary production and worked with great attention and enthusiasm. This nomination is a credit to the outstanding scripts of writer Rohan Dickson, as well as the incredibly ambitious and inventive work of the directors, production, and creative team, who pushed themselves to the limit every day.”
Cullen continued, “Reyka has now exceeded all of our expectations. I am ecstatic that it has been nominated for two International Emmy Awards.
“It’s been a hard journey, but with MultiChoice and Fremantle’s commitment and faith, we’ve created a South African story with a worldwide reach for South African fans. I’ve never been happy!”
The 50th International Emmy Awards ceremony will take place in New York on November 21.