Zee Ntuli Brings Cinematic Surrealism to Eleanor
Zee Ntuli’s work distills intimate, honest human emotion into potent and visual poetry. “To me, storytelling is how we process being alive,” says Zee Ntuli. “It’s how we make sense of chaos. In a world this noisy, stories that cut through need to feel honest.”
Bridging the gap between abstract visual storytelling and raw, human emotion, Ntuli’s lyrical visual worlds depict the complexities of the human condition. “For me, surrealism isn’t just about visuals—it’s about emotional truth,” says Ntuli. “When real life feels too blunt, abstraction lets you express the things that are harder to say out loud.”
An epic visual poem that weaves together microscopic and celestial snapshots of life, Zee’s film “Reset” for Woolworths captures his distinct ability to deliver profound meaning with a poetic and elevated visual language. Ntuli explains, “This piece is a visceral, surreal ode to detail—how much it matters, and how deeply it’s felt. The goal was to heighten the everyday—using scale, rhythm, and atmosphere to make detail emotional.”
Life is Ntuli’s muse. Inspired by his surroundings, Zee’s filmmaking expresses what he sees as the poetry of life, “I think life is constantly offering you poetry. I’m drawn to the quiet contradictions, the stuff beneath the surface. My voice as a director is an attempt to translate that—how complex, messy and beautiful life can be.”
From his sultry and exhilarating feature Hard to Get to his critically acclaimed series Reyka to his extensive portfolio of award-winning commercials, Ntuli’s work traverses filmmaking industries. Zee says, “The precision of commercial work sharpens my storytelling in longform—it teaches economy, clarity, rhythm. And in turn, my longform work brings emotional depth and psychological complexity into my commercial projects.“
‘Epic Worlds’ exemplifies such filmic dexterity. Nutli’s razor-sharp gift for timing electrifies the pacing of this visual journey while his background in the feature world instills depth into each storyworld. Zee says, “We treated it like a mini feature—each vignette with its own mood, lighting rules, framing language. We referenced sci-fi, fantasy, Westerns… but always kept the camera human.”
Crafting lyrical, surreal visual stories that express profound human emotions across mediums, Zee Ntuli’s adventurous and passionate directorial eye finds the perfect home with Eleanor. “What drew me to Eleanor is the ambition,” says Zee. “There’s real passion here—an energy that’s both bold and refined. It’s rare to find a company that backs visionary work with this much heart, taste, and precision. There’s a confidence in how Eleanor moves—a sense that the work matters, and it’s being built to last.“
“Watching Zee’s portfolio, his true passion for his work resonates in the poetry of every frame.” Eleanor President Sophie Gold said of Ntuli. “At Eleanor, we champion directors whose voice is entirely their own, who are singular in their vision. Zee’s works are crafted with brilliant visual languages yet unspoken. I know that we will create magic together.”
