This past Saturday night Sarah and I watched Orania, a 94 minute documentary directed by Tobias Lindner. Orania is a piece of private property in the middle of South Africa’s outback. Since 1991 it has been home to a small population of white Afrikaners, also referred to as Boers, who are attempting to preserve Afrikaans culture. The controversy around Orania is that people of other ethnic descent may not live or work there. The success of the documentary lies in how sensitively and sympathetically it observes and presents the lives of the people who do live there. Like all good art, the film is never preachy, but the messages are strong.
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Ah, found Orania surprisingly good. The filmmaker does little more than to put things side by side and force you to consider them. Much more interesting and engaging than passing overt commentary.