Ja, I never heard of Belmont Park either, but I do know who Lamiyah Barnard is. 12-year-old Lamiyah Barnard won the Best Actress award from the youth jury at the Florence International Film Festival in Italy, for her role in the South African psychological thriller Snake in 2024. Lamiyah, in her breakout role, played 10-year-old Stella, an impoverished farm girl in the Western Cape, who gets caught in the web of lies of a charismatic drifter. The movie is available on local streaming channels.
I dropped in on Lamiyah and her mom at her primary school, Simonsberg, which her mom also attended back in the day, to learn more about the young thespian’s journey.
Confident, bubbly, energetic, engaging, self-aware, empathetic, loving, delightful and definitely in possession of that X-factor that filmmakers find irresistible. These are just some of the vibes that manifest spontaneously when you’re in Lamiyah’s presence. “Yes, I am a drama queen,” she says with obvious tongue-in-cheek humour.
Mom, Nicky, flashes a knowing smile and it is very clear that these two souls have an intense connection.
“I had quit my job to take care of my ailing mom, before Lamiyah got into acting,” Nicky begins. “We were living off my mom’s state pension and the struggle was real, as we say. That particular day, Lamiyah and I and her sister were hanging out on the same bed scrolling through social media. We stumbled upon an advert calling for a photographic model with a certain look and feel. I sent some photos via email, she got the call, and even though the gig was unpaid, it got the ball rolling.”
Rubbing shoulders with 7de Laan's Hildegardt Whites
Lamiyah's first self-tape.
“Lamiyah is a natural born performer, she was always acting or singing or performing something or the other from the day she was born, it seems,” says Nicky with a laugh. “And I knew deep inside of me that this kid was destined to perform on the big screen. I was driven by this unknown force to take her to auditions all over the place and many times I literally had no money to get us there. I would scrape together enough for an uber to get us there, with no idea how we were going to get back, and I’m talking about distances from Kraaifontein to Blouberg, for example.”
“The audition for Snake took place in Paarl. A few months before, my mom had passed, and her memory and the grief was still present in me. Something about this audition always felt a bit pre-destined. And when we got there and mom’s name, Rachel, was mentioned in the script, I took it as a positive sign. Which was confirmed when the casting director told the other actors to go home after Lamiyah’s audition.”
The vibe between Nicky and Lamiyah is of the thick-as-thieves, in-on-a-secret, my-ride-or-die variety, and it is heartening to observe. “My mom is my everything and I would not be sitting here without her. She never gave up, sending emails, making calls, making me record videos of myself for casting agencies and directors, finding alternatives when one door closed, bypassing gate-keepers, she was relentless and it was not easy,” says Lamiyah with genuine love. “I often fantasize about winning an Oscar and making my acceptance speech, which always begins with thanking my mom. " Again, there is no joke in this, and you quickly realise that she is the kind of serious that knows it has already been manifested.
I tell her about the objectives of The Raven Report and how it was created to share good news stories of our communities by celebrating heroes like her and I ask her about her own identity. “I am so proud to be Coloured and to represent my community. I hope my achievements inspire others to follow their dreams as well."
At this point I have to mention Ms Pyp van Rhyn, one of Lamiyah’s biggest fans and an educator at Simonsberg Primary. Pyp was instrumental in setting up this interview and she has the same can-do energy that Lamiyah has.
As can be expected, Lamiyah’s new found fame has made her quite popular at school and in her local community. It’s also clear that mom keeps her grounded and that she herself does not let it go to her head. She is all hugs and humility and makes time for anyone wanting to engage.
Nicky says it has gotten to the point where she has to turn down offers for Lamiyah. “It’s a good place to be for sure, and I am grateful. But I have to weigh things up against her age, experience of childhood, mental health, family time and school responsibilities,” says Nicky.
“But I can let you in on a secret though,” Nicky hasn’t moved in the chair, but in my head, she’s looking around to see who’s watching, then nods her head, motioning me to come closer so nobody else can hear. “There is something big coming, she’s signed-up for an international movie and we are going to have to move abroad for a bit, maar moet niks sê nie, shhh (she tells me later that it's not really a secret though and I can google the details if I want to but I would need to know what to google. But I’ve decided not to tell you what to google, just to give you something to look forward to.
And because I have no doubt that I will be writing many more stories about the bubbly, beautiful diva from Belmont Park, oh, which is the suburb where Lamiyah lives and yes, its just like the others I’ve mentioned in previous articles and comes with the same built-in apartheid legacy challenges of high crime, societal dysfunction and, and, and, but we’re not going to harp on that, cos this is all about not being defined by the circumstances you find yourself in, isn’t it.
We’re proud of you Lamiyah and Nicky, and as they say in the acting business, break a leg!
