06
THE GREYTON POST
NOV /DECEMBER 2025
Driven by Heart: Alistair King and the Philipstown Wire Car Project W hen Greyton local Alistair King first heard about a African and universally human. At its core, it follows eight children as they train and compete in an
small Karoo town that held an annual wire car race, he never imagined it would one day become the centre of a global creative project — one that would unite storytelling, technology, and humanity in a remarkable way. Philipstown that held a wire car race every year,” Alistair recalls. “I remember being fascinated, but I just filed it away. Years later, when we were brainstorming ideas that could bring tech and humanity together, someone mentioned wire cars. Another “Way back, a friend told me about a place called suggested adding trackers to create a digital race — and suddenly I remembered Philipstown. In 30 seconds, the whole idea was born.” What began as a creative concept soon became something much deeper. “When we visited Philipstown and saw the extent of its social distress, we realised this was far more than a creative exercise. It was a profoundly human story — their story — and they deserved to benefit from it.” A Proudly South African Story The resulting film, The Philipstown Wire Car Grand Prix, is both deeply South
extraordinary 3.2 km race — barefoot, determined, and full of heart. “The film is really about courage, rivalry, and resilience,” says Alistair. “You’ll need a box of tissues nearby. It’s not just the race — we follow the kids in the build-up to race day, add some staggering CGI wizardry, and even a cameo from Siya Kolisi. One friend said it made him feel like he did when he watched Chariots of Fire.” Although the film features cutting-edge visual effects created by an Oscar-winning German CGI team, nearly every other aspect — from direction to score — is proudly South African. “It celebrates everything unique about Philipstown,” Alistair explains. “The film is almost entirely in Afrikaans, and the music spans our country’s genres and rhythms. The world has never seen anything like wire car culture — it’s joyous and deeply rooted in our heritage.” From Advertising to Authenticity As one of South Africa’s most acclaimed creative minds, Alistair is known for bringing intelligence and emotion to
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting