Jamie Uys; Wrote and Directed ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’

Jamie Uys, 74, South African filmmaker who wrote, produced and directed the international hit, “The Gods Must Be Crazy.” Once a mathematics teacher, Uys became known for his comedy films that satirized class and racial relations. In “Gods,” which starred Marius Weyers in the lead role that Uys originally wrote for himself, a young bushman wanders through the modern world trying to return a soda bottle dropped from an airplane. The 1981 film made $85 million worldwide, the largest amount ever for a film from a developing nation, according to the “Guinness Book of Movie Facts and Feats.” Uys’ other films included a less successful sequel, “The Gods Must Be Crazy II,” “The Hellions,” “After You, Comrade” and “Animals Are Beautiful People.” On Monday in Pretoria, South Africa, of a heart attack.