Vicki Fourie – also known as Vix or Vicki Kricki to her family – is 35 years old. She was born in Bloemfontein and spent most of her life in the Free State. Vicki’s major for this year is screenwriting.
WHY AFDA?
Last year, I applied to 10 universities, and all rejected me – except for AFDA GQ. Turns out, there’s a court case going on between ACE (my school system) and the public universities of South Africa. I didn’t know that, and I just couldn’t understand why I kept on getting rejected.
AFDA GQ was set to launch its BA Creative Writing program this year, but at the end of last year, they notified me that the degree had been postponed to 2025. I was crushed, for this meant that I was going to have to wait another year to study…
In January of this year, AFDA GQ contacted me and said I qualified for a RPL (Recognized Prior Learning). This meant that I could skip an undergraduate degree and immediately start my Honours degree in Scriptwriting. Of course, I accepted!
On the upside: because I have all those rejection emails from the 9 public universities, ACE can now submit my affidavit as a witness, along with the rejection letters to the court case they are currently busy with. So all in all, not a waste at all!
What I like the most about AFDA is the fact that the students are so hopeful about a future in South Africa. They believe that there is a place for them here. The atmosphere here is also incredible; the lecturers treat their students with respect and honour, and vice versa.
FORTY PROJECTS
I have about 40 project ideas that I would love to launch within the next 10-15 years. They include books, a quarterly magazine, television series, talk shows, feature films, and more. If I could receive the finances for it somehow, and then just simply run with each idea that I’ve got… And not worry about marketing or money. That is the dream: To just be creative and see each project come to life.
RESEARCH QUESTION
I chose the following topic because of the experiences that I had as an actress in the South African film industry. Years ago, I auditioned for film and television roles, but I was typecasted as a ‘Deaf person who speaks sign language’, which is not who I am at all. There are still myths and stereotypes surrounding d/Deafness, and I hope to quell those perceptions through my research thesis.
‘The Forgotten Audience: Re-framing the sensibilities of d/Deaf audiences in responses to films depicting d/Deafness’
FIRST, FAVOURITE & LAST FILM
The first movie I saw is a movie I will never forget: I was 7 years old, and I saw Toy Story for the first time at home. I immediately went to my room afterward and rearranged all the toys. From that day on, I believed that toys came alive when I wasn’t there and that they each had a spirit and a soul. That’s the power of a story – it can make you believe in anything. Stories captivate and enthrall our souls.
The best movie I watched was a romantic film. I normally don’t like watching romantic films simply because I find them to be unrealistic. Then I watched Definitely, Maybe, and this film took a different approach to romance and how life is not as cookie-cutter as we would want to believe. It’s complicated and messy.
The last film that I watched was Hiroshima, Mon Amour, for my Core Course assignment at AFDA. It’s a complicated story layered with depth and trauma. I enjoyed assessing this film.
I also love watching television series, probably more than films. The last television series that I watched was The Good Wife for the second time. I love that series and it’s brilliantly written. Diane Lockhart and Elsbeth are my favourite characters, and I plan on watching The Good Fight & Elsbeth next. My favourite television series are Fringe & McLeod’s Daughters, which I’ve seen three times each already.
FIRST, FAVOURITE & LAST BOOK
The first book I ever read was The Sweet Valley Twins: Don’t Go In The Basement. I was 9 years old and I found the book in the local library. This book captivated my imagination, and I was hooked on reading books from there on.
The best books that I’ve read recently are three books, and interestingly, they are all memoirs. Born A Crime by Trevor Noah (I personally think this book should be prescribed to all schools), OPEN by Andre Agassi (this book should be read by all men who are struggling with their identities), and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (this book gave me the clarity I needed on a situation in our family that doesn’t seem to have a solution).
The last two books that I read are two books on scriptwriting – STORY by Robert McKee and How Not To Write A Screenplay by Denny Martin Flinn.
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An actress, writer & director that I admire is Brit Marling. She was typecasted in ‘dumb, blond and pretty’ roles, and decided to create opportunities for herself. She writes and directs her own films and gives herself the leading role in almost all of them.
