September 8, 2025
XCV — Hallie Haller
Hallie Haller is a Johannesburg-based filmmaker and artist that cares about media, the future, and you.

Below are Hallie’s SELECTS:

Documentary
Milisuthando by Milisuthando Bongela
2023

I saw this film recently and was astounded by what it could feel like to see something so distinctly South African and so specific to my generation reflected on screen. ‘Milisuthando’ and the crew worked toward a decolonised cinema in this project. The editing by Hankyeol Lee is wild — I’ve never seen archival material used in this way before. I love films that disrupt standard formats, and to say something truly new — which I genuinely believe this film does — is so necessary.

Documentary
Faya Dayi by Jessica Beshir
2021

‘Faya Dayi’ is so poetic. And so non-judgemental in the way it tells this story. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Short
Kiss of the Rabbit God by Andrew Thomas Huang
2019

This film blew my mind. I don’t think any single piece of film has influenced me as much as this did. I see it referenced everywhere. I watch it at least every 6 months. The idea of queerness as a portal. The way the director uses this third space in the film. And the SYMBOLISM. This undoubtedly influenced the direction I chose to move in and the way that I look at visual metaphors in filmmaking.

Campaign
‘Journey to Independence’ Leonard Cheshire by Matilda Finn
2019

It was incredible to see Matilda Finn use symbolism and the third space (which I’d learned to love from ‘Kiss of The Rabbit God’) in the commercial world here. Her style is so unmistakable here, but in a way that works for the story she’s telling. And I think about that often when I’m working on commercials.

Music Video
‘Crazy’ Doechii by C Prinz
2022

I’m so inspired by C Prinz’s work and the way she uses the body a medium. There’s so much attention to physicality. Sometimes movement is the production design, sometimes it’s the performance, sometimes it’s even the visual language — like it is here, where the movement jitters in staccato computer game style.

Music Video
‘Tailor Swif’ A$AP Rocky by Vania Heymann, Gal Muggia
2024

I love the way this directing approaches the surreal, comedically. There’s a lot of surrealism in my work and I want to bring that into shooting more comedy. I love Yorgos Lanthimos and Ruben Ostland’s offbeat satirical humour and really enjoy seeing Vania and Gal bring that random hilarity into music video and commercial land.

PEOPLE IN THIS ARTICLE
Milisuthando Bongela
Mentioned
Jessica Beshir
Mentioned