At 60, Embeth Davidtz has stepped behind the camera for the first time with a deeply personal film project. The actress, known for roles spanning from “Schindler’s List” to “Matilda,” has directed and starred in an adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s memoir, “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight.”
The film focuses on a pivotal period in 1980 Zimbabwe, then Rhodesia, as the country approaches independence elections. Through the eyes of eight-year-old Bobo, played by newcomer Lexi Venter, audiences witness the racial tensions and family dynamics on a white-owned farm. Davidtz portrays Bobo’s volatile mother, a character originally intended to have more screen time until she recognized the story’s power through the child’s perspective.
“Lexi brought such raw authenticity to the role,” Davidtz explains. “Directing her required improvisation and spontaneity—it was like observing wildlife and capturing genuine reactions rather than rehearsed performances.”
The project holds personal significance for Davidtz, who spent her formative years in apartheid-era South Africa after moving from the United States at age eight. “There was this pervasive aggression everywhere,” she recalls of that time. “Violence was commonplace, and there was this underlying fear among white communities that the masses would turn against them.”
Her transition to directing came after periods of professional dissatisfaction and personal health challenges. Following a stage-3 breast cancer diagnosis in 2013, which required extensive treatment including chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, Davidtz reassessed her career priorities.
“The experience clarified what matters,” she says. “I realized there’s a singular road ahead, and you get one shot at living fully.”
This realization coincided with diminishing acting opportunities that truly engaged her. “Unless an exceptional role or director comes along, I’m not interested in spending long days delivering mediocre lines. That kind of work made me miserable.”
Her new film, while set in the past, carries contemporary relevance. “It’s fascinating how those in power often rally support by convincing people their way of life is under threat—whether by the ‘radical left’ or whatever bogeyman serves the narrative,” she observes.
Now celebrating both her 60th birthday and her directorial debut, Davidtz sees this as just the beginning. “My 50s were about getting this film off the ground. My 60s will be about building what comes next.”
“Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” arrives in theaters October 3rd.
