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The Cinema of Apartheid:
Race and Class in South African
Film
Edited by Keyan Tomaselli
"A fascinating and invaluable book for anyone interested
in film, anywhere."
—Nadine Gordimer
How a nation looks at itself and shows itself to others is
often revealed in its movies. But alongside this more flattering
self-image, its movies may also reveal realities which it
would rather conceal. This ambiguity is particularly true
of South African films, which reflect the daily life and values
of a society governed by extreme theories of racial separation.
In The Cinema of Apartheid, Keyan Tomaselli analyzes the
historical development and present state of South African
cinema. Assuming no special knowledge on the part of the reader,
the author provides fascinating descriptions of the movies,
with penetrating comments on how they reflect South African
realities.
Tomaselli addresses all aspects of the film industry. While
focusing on domestic productions, Tomaselli also discusses
the many international filmmakers who use South Africa as
a location. He begins with an account of how the government
uses subsidies and censorship to determine which films are
made. He explores the tensions between English-language and
Afrikaans-language films, and between films made for whites
and films made for blacks. Considerable attention is given
to the media and the distribution system which shape the nature
of film discourse in South Africa.
Tomaselli takes his readers behind the scenes to examine
the industry in is financial infrastructure, its marketing
strategies and its work habits. He concludes with an appraisal
of the independent cinema created on the margins of society
and the obstacles facing South Africans who wish to create
films with artistic and political integrity. He shows how
social polarization has produced a great gap between what
is and what might be, but holds out some hope for progress.
The documentary section of The Cinema of Apartheid is the
most comprehensive research on South African film ever to
appear in print. A filmography lists all feature films made
in South Africa between 1910 and 1985, together with numerous
documentaries about South Africa, including films by exiles
and non-South Africans. The bibliography cites outstanding
writing from three continents.
Tomaselli's approach, combining historical, political and
aesthetic analysis, offers a unique view of a country in turmoil.
The Cinema of Apartheid may prove to be not only the definitive
book on South African cinema, but also a model study of an
entertainment industry.
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