Monday, 27 June 2011
Introducing Breaking Stereotypes – a travel documentary that alters the way people
interpret the world and themselves. Filmed and produced by a South African on a
mission.

A stereotype may be defined as;
1. A widely held but fixed and over simplified image or idea of a particular type of
person or thing
2. A person or thing that conforms to such an image.

Yashivan Govender is the man behind the project. He believes in breaking stereotypes
and he lives his life as if he were a super hero. Yashivan is the Director of Operations
for FirstStep.me, a website geared for school leavers, and college/university graduates.
The documentary; Breaking Stereotypes is part travelogue, part adventure story and it
certainly breaks stereotypes. It also breaks with tradition. It is one man’s quest to live
his dream, a South African who changed the way Europeans thought about South
Africans. He touched the lives of a handful of people and recorded it, so that it can
inspire others to live their dreams.

Produced by Duma Mseleku and Yashivan Govender, the project was filmed in Europe
over the following sixteen destinations; Schwerin, Munich, Salzburg, Zuoz, Milan,
Venice, Florence, Rome, Brussels, Bruges, Malmo, Lund, Copenhagen, Berlin,
Holzkirchen and Tegernsee. Filming began in 2009, continued in 2010 and the
production was edited in 2011. Duma and Yashivan filmed the documentary on
Samsung Camcorders.

The documentary is available online http://www.youtube.com/user/Dumagovey.

More About the Producers

Govender was named by Mail & Guardian as one the 100 young South Africans you
must take to lunch in 2007, his first book was launched in December 2010 and it is
called the Fun Side of Being Serious (a first in a three part series) and Breaking
Stereotypes is his first documentary. At 28, he believes that being a South African
rocks, that youth business is the answer to the financial recession and that young
people of the world today are the future heroes of the universe! Yashivan currently lives
in Germany.

Duma Mseleku is the son of Jazz musician Bheki Mseleku. Duma has a background in
BSc and a degree in visual effects from AFDA. Duma brings to the project insight on
production and directing. Born in Sweden, raised in England and then educated in
South Africa, you don’t get a better broken stereotype than this lad.

To schedule an interview with Yashivan and/or Duma please contact
Janine Daniel at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or on 083 327 3393.