Feature Documentary
On 2nd May 2011 in Johannesburg South Africa, Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren stabbed his girlfriend fourteen times, killing her in broad daylight, and all caught on CCTV.
A violent murderer yes, but also a charismatic manipulator, who evaded prison – twice – in two different countries, assumed three different identities, and started families with two different women, before being brought to justice. And all with the help from his mother.
Original Sin: My Son the Killer weaves a chilling narrative of Gerhard Jansen van Vuuren, seen through the haunted gaze of his mother. This crime thriller pulls you into a world where familial shadows loom large over present horrors. We move between the chilling scene of Andrea Venter's murder and the twisted lineage of Gerhard's upbringing, unraveling how the hidden scars of an abusive father and a dark family history forged him into a cold-blooded killer.
"No fiction writer could dream up these events... Tragedy, a brutal murder and a mother's memories flash through Thea Pretorius' haunted eyes."
— RAPPORT (South Africa)
“jaw-dropping… If you haven’t watched it yet, do so!"
— CAXTON LOCAL MEDIA
“not just another documentary about a violent death. It is a film that contains some of the answers to the age-old question - what makes a killer?… Original Sin somehow touches on every vital element of this crime in a raw and tragic exploration of domestic violence and all its consequences.”
— TRUE CRIME SOUTH AFRICA PODCAST