Actress, producer, screenwriter and filmmaker – Donnalee Roberts is a woman of many talents. She is also an Instax fan, with her Instax prints proudly displayed throughout her home. We chatted to Donnaleeabout the significance of a physical photo, her brown Instax Mini Evo, and her brand-new series –Een Keer Om Die Son.
Hello Donnalee, it’s great to have you onboard!
Thank you so much for having me here – “In the Moment”. I love this so much because in this day and age it feels like we are always living in tomorrow, always busy on our way to somewhere, instead of just BEING in the here and now – in the moment!
Tell us, why are Instax prints important to you?
Oh my sentimental heart! I have always been a collector of little things that remind me of special moments and ever since I got my first Instax camera, I have been able to make those special moments and memories visually tangible by capturing them on an Instax print. LOVE!
You own the brown Instax Mini Evo amongst other Instax devices. What do you like most about this camera/printer?
It’s SO wonderfully retro and reminiscent of a time when taking a picture was a special moment. When you looked at that photo later, you could remember all the details, such as the smell in the air, the sounds around you, what you wore, what you laughed about. Taking a picture was about capturing a significant moment in your life.
What is your favourite thing to do with your prints? Do you have an album, a pin board, or do they go on the fridge door?They live EVERYWHERE. Absolutely on our fridge, in my wallet, my kids’ room, on a pin board in my office – little captured moments everywhere to remind me to BE in the moment because that’s the only way to turn the moment into a memory! Told you I have a super sentimental heart 😉
Through a magical event, you now have the chance to go back in time to snap an Instax photo of anyone. Who would that be?
Former president and legend Nelson Mandela! This quote of his always lives with me: “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
You have a new series running on KykNET, created alongside your husband, Ivan Botha, and starring yourself. Tell us more please!
Een Keer Om Die Sonis our new family drama series that myself and my husband, Ivan Botha, co-wrote, produced, directed and played in. It can be seen on Tuesday evenings at 8pm on KykNET and also on Catch Up.
We meet the Van Wyk family on New Year’s Eve and follow their journey over a year (a trip around the sun) to the next one.
They are shattered by the death of a beloved family member and their lives come crashing down as individuals and a collective. Over a year they must learn to truly grieve, grow and grasp what it means to start living again. We follow their journey as a family through love, loss, heartbreak and what it means to truly follow your dreams.
Een Keer Om Die Sonoffers viewers a deeply moving and authentic portrayal of the ordinary human experience, as the Van Wyk family navigates the challenges and triumphs of life!
We always ask our interviewees, what’s your favourite tune at the moment?
“Labamba”. It’s always “Labamba”! It’s my favourite ‘let’s get this party started’ tune!
And your favourite movie at the moment?
Ooooeeeeh, that’s such a difficult question because I literally have a favourite movie in pretty much every genre. But let’s go with “top three of all time movies I would choose every time, at any moment”:Forrest Gump,Fight Club,Amélie.
What would you rather be doing at the moment?
Watching a palm tree sway in a sunny breeze, toes in the sand, drinking out of a coconut and playing on the beach with my boys!
The OG mini 12 era is where you can have some fun and experiment with new mini film print styles like rainbow or pastelcolours, confetti, graphic spray art, hearts and many more (a design for every era)! Match your style to your mini 12 with pastel colours and matching gems.
Want to snap the perfect selfie of you and your bestie dancing away?It's what the INSTAX mini 12 was born to do. With a perfectly positioned mirror, close-up mode and the automatic flash control, a selfie moment-grabbing extraordinaire.
The mini link 2 era is all about letting your creativity shine. A pop of blue eyeshadow, the mini link 2 in space blue and a pack of blue mini films is all you need to complete your evening and re-live your favourite memories.
Dance the night away and print your moves with the INSTAXAIR feature! Hold down the feature button on your mini Link 2 and be creative with the LED light on the side of the printer to draw your favourite shapes in the air. If the printer is vibrating it means it's working, so whatever you decide to draw, be it a squiggle, a heart or a letter, it'll appear on your image.
Australian Winter is on its way, which is the perfect time for the SQUARE SQ1 era and the perfect cozy style to match the colourways.
Capture your world in square with bigger selfies and cozy moments from the season. With the power of an automated flash to calculate the brightness of your environment, the SQUARE SQ1 adjusts the shutter speed accordingly – ensuring the perfect snap every time!
The ‘classic print style’ of the SQUARE film is the perfect way to preserve memories from your SQUARE era for years to come. Push your creativity boundaries with the soft and subtle shades of the Sunset frame.
