When you think of Afrikaner strongholds, there are certain areas that come to mind.
OK, but did Argentina pop into your head?
You can be forgiven for failing to think of the town of Comodoro Rivadavia, located in the Patagonian province of Chubut in southern Argentina.
There, however, you will find a community that has come to be known as the Boers at the end of the world. Their story came to be heard around the world after being featured in the documentary Boere op die Aardsdrempel, which won three SAFTAs back in 2015 – for Sound Design, Editing and Cinematography.
Directed by Richard Finn Gregory, the trailer sets the scene nicely:
IOL gave the doccie four out of five stars:
…this meticulously constructed documentary makes for fascinating, if wistful viewing. It charts the story of a group of Afrikaners who left the country and settled in Patagonia a century ago. It concentrates on their descendants as opposed to telling just the origins story…
The sharp editing creates a narrative that is furthered by each talking head shot and each silent walk across a deserted farm which creates the impression of what Afrikaners without the baggage of apartheid could be like. The documentary is a thoughtful portrait of a dying cultural grouping lamenting its loss even as the people embraces the change.
The good news is that the doccie is now available to watch on Showmax, and it won’t cost you a cent.
Sign up for their FREE 14-day trial, and existing DStv users can also add Showmax to their bouquet for free.
You know what they say – ‘n Boer maak ‘n plan.
Otherwise, the month-to-month subscription costs R99, which gets you all-you-can-eat access to a huge online catalogue of TV shows, movies, kids’ shows and documentaries.
No ads, cancel any time you want, and there’s no contract – lovely.
[source:iol]
