A tale of two nations: South Africa, De Voortrekkers and Come See the Bioscope

Lucia Saks

doi:10.5007/2175-8026.2011n61p137

A tale of two nations: South Africa, De Voortrekkers and Come See the Bioscope

Authors

Lucia Saks University of Cape Town

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2011n61p137

Abstract

This paper examines two films, De Vootrekkers (1916) and Come See the Bioscope (1997), made at two moments of national crisis in South African history, the first at the beginning and the second at the end of the twentieth century. Both films speak to the historical moment of their production and offer very different visions of the nation and the necessity for reconciliation.

Author Biography

Lucia Saks, University of Cape Town

Lucia Saks lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is Visiting Professor atthe Centre for Film and Media Studies and Research Associate at theArchive and Public Culture Research Initiative, University of CapeTown, South Africa.