South Africa

Yet another Euro-perspective of Africa
This film does a good job of showing the geography but that's about it. I didn't learn anything from this film that WIkipedia or a GoogleMap could have shown me. The cultural and historical analysis is shallow and somewhat inaccurate. It gives a very rosy view of the people living there and completely disregards the complex history of colonization. It glorifies European conquerers and leaves out the many kingdoms that existed upon their arrival. If you want to learn about South Africa beyond the beautiful coastlines, stay away. This film falls short, no substance, no reality, and no detail.

A bit whitewashed
This short film is worth seeing for a basic introduction to a very complex country. It's a sweeping overview, and as such, is necessarily shallow. Nevertheless, a good starting point for getting oriented.

It's intended to present a positive view of the country and there are indeed many wonderful features of the land and culture. The one aspect that is simply inaccurate in the film is the portrayal of native rural life as "thriving". Yes, many people live in rural areas and practice their traditional way of life to some extent. But this is in the context of devastation. A post-colonial and post-apartheid legacy of shattered communities, unemployment, crumbling, ill-equipped schools, and an HIV epidemic belie the image of happy natives content in their rondavels.

By ignoring this aspect, the film misses one of most inspiring features of modern South Africa, the fact that the people are facing these challenges with courage, energy, and some degree of unity.



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