News from South Africa

In recent years young South African filmmakers have begun a shift to a more personal, author-driven mode of filmmaking, eschewing stories that deal directly with South Africa's grand narrative of Apartheid history. In many respects, such a change allows for an intimate account and insight into issues such as race, national identity and class. A central issue in South African film studies has always been that of national identity in cinema and indeed what, if anything, constitutes South Africa’s national cinema oeuvre. This selection presents several films by contemporary South African filmmakers which are indicative of the current trend in auteur cinema in the country and may well suggest the marking of a new era of South African filmmaking. Included in the selection are two films from the 1970s and 80s. These films, a classic anti-Apartheid documentary (LAST GRAVE AT DIMBAZA) as well as the seminal underground classic SHOT DOWN, will allow for the films to be contextualized in relationship to cinema produced under Apartheid. All the films will be introduced Darryl Els, currently a Goethe Institute fellow working on the "Living Archive" project, and Claus Löser.