Aryan Kaganof

Biography

Aryan Kaganof is a South African filmmaker, writer, poet, and visual artist. Born Ian Kerkhof in Johannesburg in 1964, he later changed his name in 1999 to Aryan Kaganof and has since built a reputation as one of the country’s most experimental and politically engaged auteurs. He works across film, literature, and visual art, often blending documentary, fiction, poetry, and performance into unconventional storytelling forms. His films are known for exploring themes like memory, violence, sexuality, colonial history, and identity, frequently pushing against traditional narrative structures. Kaganof studied in the Netherlands after leaving South Africa during apartheid and later trained at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy. His filmography includes works such as Kyodai Makes the Big Time (1992), Shabondama Elegy (1999), Western 4.33 (2002), and SMS Sugar Man (2007), many of which have screened at international festivals including Berlinale Forum. Across his career, he has remained a deeply experimental voice in contemporary African and global cinema, often working at the intersection of art, politics, and sound-image experimentation.

Known For

Social & Reach