Finding Goldfinger: A granddaughter's love letter to a diving legend

For Willow Joubert, from Fish Hoek, filmmaking began as a way to deal with grief.

Just weeks after she and her mother, Vanessa, discussed creating a documentary about her grandfather, Pierre “Goldfingers” Joubert, died.

The project might have ended there - but instead, grief became the beginning of something far bigger.

Willow, then just 18, turned the idea into a full-length feature film inspired by his life.

“I felt this need to share who my grandfather was,” she said. “To immortalise him in some way.”

In the 1980s, Mr Joubert and four friends embarked on a mission to explore the wreck of the HMS  Birkenhead. Their work marked a major technical achievement: they built South Africa’s first Saturation Diving System, a pioneering tool that made the salvage operation possible.

It was during this historic project that he earned the nickname “Goldfingers” after successfully locating and retrieving gold from the famous 1852 shipwreck off the South African coast.

Now 20, Willow has written and directed Finding Goldfinger, a self-funded feature that also serves as a pilot for a possible television series.

The production mirrors the film’s themes of teamwork and shared purpose. It was created by Willow, her mother Vanessa, and her younger sister Ivangely.

Finding Goldfinger is about more than treasure or maritime history.

At its heart, the family says, it is a coming-of-age story following a sensitive boy shaped by discipline, silence, and survival, who grows into a man whose legacy extends beyond his childhood.

Set in post-war South Africa, Mr Joubert, the eldest child in a strict household, struggles with a stutter and emotional isolation. Protective of his gentle brother Ettiene and later his younger siblings, he hardens himself to be brave for them.

Much of his refuge comes from the natural world. Drawn outdoors, he finds comfort in rivers, books, birdwatching, and eventually the sea.

High school introduces a brotherhood of boys, whose long bike rides, mischief, fights, and Sea Scout adventures become defining rites of passage.

Through boats and water, he discovers adventure, freedom, purpose, and identity - themes the family say form the emotional core of the film.

Mr Joubert was known in his family as a storyteller who mixed fact with fantasy. He told his grandchildren about sea creatures and near-mythical encounters, while remaining humble about his real-life achievements.

“He never really boasted,” Willow said. “My mom told me about the history he made. From him, I got the magic.”

Balancing those two sides - the man and the myth - became one of the film’s biggest creative challenges.

“After interviewing his friends, about 60% of the script changed,” Willow said.

“Everyone remembers events differently. I had to make sure every voice was honoured while still shaping a story that flowed.”

The filmmaking journey was anything but smooth. With no studio backing, the family funded the film themselves over more than two years, shooting in stages as money allowed.

“The plan was simple,” Vanessa said. “Save, shoot a scene, then repeat.”

They bought and resold equipment, sourced props creatively, and poured earnings from acting jobs into the budget. When actors failed to show up, Willow rewrote scenes on the spot.

“It was stressful,” she admitted. “Especially with many first-time actors. But we always found a solution.”

Stepping into multiple technical roles stretched her even further.

“The final stretch of editing and visual effects nearly broke me,” Willow said.

“But finishing it was the most rewarding feeling I’ve ever had.”

Vanessa admitted she had initially worried whether Willow had the confidence to carry out such a large project, especially as the script grew in scope.

But watching her daughter navigate the setbacks and pressures of filmmaking became one of the most meaningful parts of the journey.

“She showed resilience and determination throughout the process,” Vanessa said, while her younger sister, Ivangely, also impressed the team with her maturity and professionalism on set, often helping behind the scenes and documenting the production.

“They both amazed me in ways I never expected,” she added.

There were moments when it became clear that Willow had truly stepped into the role of filmmaker, particularly during the demanding editing phase.

Vanessa described her daughter as “tenacious” and unwilling to give up, no matter how difficult things became. One defining moment, she said, was watching Willow work naturally and confidently with young children on set, bringing “a calm, gentle presence that couldn’t be taught.”

More than a historical drama, the film explores childhood pressure, friendship, imagination, and resilience - themes that echo across generations.

“This story is about a sensitive boy who finds strength in the sea and in his friendships,” Willow said. “But it’s also about how creativity helps us survive difficult things.”

Making the film together has changed the family, Vanessa says.

“It was healing. We began trying to find him again. Along the way, we found kindness, new friends, and parts of ourselves we’d lost.”

She believes Mr Joubert would have understood what his granddaughters were trying to do.

“It’s a love letter,” she said. “And I think he would have been proud.”

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