Sick

Annemerie, a sharp-witted woman in her early twenties, spends her days in a mental institution surrounded by cheap romance films, junk food, and the sharp humour she uses to keep people at a distance. Beneath her sarcasm is a young woman struggling with heartbreak, denial, and the pressure to appear fine when she is anything but.

As memories of Danie, the boy she loved, begin to surface, Annemerie is forced to confront the pain and shame she has tried to turn into a joke. What starts as a darkly funny portrait of a woman in control slowly reveals someone far more vulnerable, caught between the version of herself she performs and the truth she is avoiding.

Siek is an intimate dark comedy about heartbreak, self-deception, and the difficult act of saying what has been left unsaid.

  • Nika Hood
    Director
    Fig.2 - Absence
  • Nika Hood
    Writer
    Fig.2 - Absence
  • Mischa Brand
    Producer
    Dogman
  • Nika Hood
    Key Cast
    "Annemerie "
    Fig.2 - Absence
  • Minah Seabi
    Key Cast
    "Jeanie "
  • Angelina Mandzavinos
    Assistant Director
    The Petal Between Us
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Siek
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Dark Comedy, Drama, Psychological Dark Comedy
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 25, 2026
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 ZAR
  • Country of Origin:
    South Africa
  • Country of Filming:
    South Africa
  • Language:
    Afrikaans
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Open Window Institute
Director Biography - Nika Hood

Nika Hood is a South African filmmaker in her final year at The Open Window Institute. Her screened and awarded experimental short film, Fig 2 - Absence, reflects her interest in bold visual storytelling and emotionally charged cinema. Her work is driven by a strong visual sensibility and an interest in stories that feel intimate, honest, and emotionally layered.

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Director Statement

I first wrote the opening lines of Siek when I was seventeen and still in high school. At the time, I did not fully understand the kind of character I had created, or the emotional weight I was trying to write about. Over the past five years, the script has been rewritten more than twenty times, slowly becoming a piece that is incredibly close to my heart.

Annemerie has always been the centre of that process. The greatest challenge was writing a character who is honest while constantly being dishonest; someone who is blunt, rude, defensive and difficult, but still human enough for the audience to understand her. I did not want to soften her too much or make her pain neat. I wanted her humour, cruelty and vulnerability to exist together, because that is what makes her feel real.

Siek explores the pressure to perform being fine, even when you are not. Annemerie hides behind jokes, sharp comments and a carefully controlled version of herself, but beneath that performance is someone who is deeply fragile. Even if the audience does not understand every part of her, I believe there is enough truth in her behaviour for them to recognise something familiar.

The production itself was also deeply personal and challenging. Balancing my role as both filmmaker and actor was difficult, but it also shaped the final piece. After spending years with this character, I knew her intimately. I understood her rhythm, her contradictions, and the parts of herself she tries to hide. That closeness allowed me to connect with Annemerie in a way that felt instinctive.

Siek will always be a very personal film to me. It marks my first short film as a filmmaker, and I am proud that it carries the messiness, discomfort and honesty of the long process that created it.