Odette van Rensburg: creating documentaries on social behaviour
Have you ever felt disconnected from yourself or others, or struggled with an issue you couldn’t openly discuss? Independent filmmaker Odette van Rensburg highlights the difficulties and rewards of making documentaries on taboo issues like suicide, suicide ideation and domestic violence in unexpected forms. Thought-provoking films like Disconnected and A Shell of Herself challenge us to look beyond others’ masks, confront our own feelings, and establish stronger connections. Sensitive content, intended for adults: suicide and domestic violence are discussed.
If you are new to podcasts, simply click on the arrow to listen to Odette and Mariette, or on the download button to download the conversation onto your device.
In ep. 227 of the weekly podcast series Calm, Clear & Helpful, Odette van Rensburg, independent documentary filmmaker and producer of Dogs on the Run, considers
being a traveller, dancer, singer/song writer who lived in the desert with the Bedouin
‘dancing both of her babies out of her body’
picking up the metaphorical carpet and pointing at things that had been swept under it
making films for L'Arche, UNIC, CBC, Unitaid, UNFPA, and Gates Foundation
Odette en Eric’s 2017 documentary Give a man a mask and he will tell you the truth on male sex workers in Zimbabwe
operating outside mainstream funding and institutional control in order to counter “fast food visual”
gaining participants’ trust and honouring their need to remain anonymous
Disconnected, the 2023 documentary on social stigmas by those with the lived experience of suicide loss or attempts
the silence - and unanswered questions - following suicide
bullying and suicide
the disconnection preceding suicide, and different ways in which families may experience disconnection after losing a loved one to suicide
the Friendship Bench (FB) project that originated in Zimbabwe
the 2025 documentary A Shell of Herself on domestic violence in lesbian relationships
creating awareness by showing Disconnected, A Shell of Herself or Eric and Odette’s documentary Men too, on male victims of domestic violence, to first responders, mental health and medical professionals, in communities, bereavement groups, corporates, at mental health conferences, etc.
how to do so: contact Odette through https://www.dogsontherunproduction.com/ - go to ‘More’ on the navigation bar on the Home page and click on ‘Contact’.
Scroll down to About for more information on Odette and on Dogs on the Run.
Eric Gauss, Director of Dogs on the Run
You can watch shorts and other material on Odette and Eric’s documentaries at https://www.youtube.com/@dogsontherunproduction7336 (YouTube).
Read Odette’s Up Close & Personal article here - she writes about living with the Bedouin, films that have to be made, and dancing her sons into the world.
About Odette and Dogs on the Run
Odette van Rensburg is the Producer of Dogs on the Run, independent documentary filmmakers in the Western Cape. Since 2013, she and Eric Gauss have been documenting social behaviour:
“As independent filmmakers, we have the freedom to document without limitation, agenda or restrictions. We make documentaries that document what is, capturing issues steeped in stigma and shame. By unveiling the masks worn as armour, we shine a light on issues our society chooses to ignore.
“Dogs on the Run operates outside mainstream funding and institutional control.”
Email: dogsontherunproduction@gmail.com
Website: https://www.dogsontherunproduction.com/
YouTube: Dogs on the Run Production https://www.youtube.com/@dogsontherunproduction7336
You can support Dogs on the Run on Patreon: patreon.com/disconnectedthedocumentary
Online store: https://www.dogsontherunproduction.com/ (just scroll down)
Fa
X or Twitter: twitter.com/DogsontheRunDoc
Facebook: facebook.com/dogsontherunproduction and Odette van Rensburg Podcast
Instagram: instagram.com/dogsontherunproduction
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Original music by Mart-Marie Snyman
Thumbnail image: Unsplash
Images of Odette van Rensburg and Eric Gauss: supplied