2022 TIFF Film Festival | The Umbrella Men Interview

The Umbrella Men directed by John Barker highlights a ragtag bunch of musicians who are forced to rob a bank during the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival in the hope they will save their iconic, but in-debt nightclub in the Bo Kaap. The crime film has some comedic moments throughout but the story centers on the legacy that Jerome’s (Jaques De Silva) father left. There is so much history that was explored by Barker in this film to authentically present the culture and the meaning of Jerome’s legacy in Cape Town. From a generational standpoint, Jerome has to understand his past in order to form his identity apart from his legacy in order to move forward in Cape Town after his father’s death. The cast is strong and they have natural chemistry with one another which helps solidify their history in the town.