Watch: The Trailer of ‘Ellen, the Ellen Pakkies Story’


In one of the most gripping crime stories South Africa has seen, it told the story of a mother who kills her drug-ridden son in 2007. Now years, later it’s the subject of the film, Ellen, the Ellen Pakkies Story. 

The crime drama is directed by Noem My Skollie‘s Daryne Joshua and stars Jill Levenberg as Ellen Pakkies, and Jarrid Geduld as her son, Abie. It also stars Clint Brink , Elton Landrew, Illse Klink and Kay Smith.

“Based on true events, Ellen tells of the troubled relationship between a mother and her drug-addicted son – a relationship that will eventually drive her to the edge and lead to his murder. In 2007, the death of 20 year old Abie Pakkies created a stir in South Africa and the world. The most disturbing part of the case was that the murderer was his mother, Ellen. When advocate Adrian Samuels takes on the case, he is determined to prove that Ellen Pakkies had no choice. But what compelled her to stop seeking help? How does a mother become desperate enough to take her own son’s life? Told across two timelines, Ellen is the harrowing account of a woman put through the penal system, tried for murder and driven by an unflinching love for her son. It delves into the inner psyche of a family ravaged by drugs in one of the most dangerous communities in South Africa. A scourge that extends beyond the Cape Flats and highlights a systematic failure to protect the poorest of the poor.”

The film was an official selection at the Rotterdam International Film Festival on 27 January, and was chosen to compete at the 44th Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF).

Ellen, the Ellen Pakkies Story will be released in cinemas on 7 September 2018. However, if you are wanting to find out what’s being released this weekend, check out the list here

Follow us on Instagram!

Instagram did not return a 200.