Voices from the Land

A series of six dramatic shorts, each from a different African country and all on the broad theme of "love in Africa."

Rachel struggles to survive a drought that has hit her farm and her life. A water-diviner brings dramatic changes to her life. She is confronted with a desert deep within herself and discovers a way to survive.

Joseph Mabena lives with his wife, Doreen, their children and spouses, and their grandchildren in an overcrowded house in Hangberg. When he is injured at his workplace, Mabena receives a large compensation payment for the loss of one eye. His family is suddenly overly concerned about him and confesses their love in the hope of getting some of that money as well. Mabena sees through their false affection and decides not to share a cent of his "hard earned" money. At the local bar, he meets a new love, Zelda, and he brings her home to the horror of his wife and children. When he announces that he wants to marry her, his wife and children decide to poison him.

The film sheds light on a country in which, after twenty-seven years of war and three ­years of official peace, there is an overwhelming discrepancy between poor and rich. A sensitive and respectful approach towards a traumatised society.

Sophia's Homecoming reminds us that the devastating personal effects of the massive social dislocations caused by apartheid can never be erased. Sophia, like so many other women, becomes a self-reliant provider for her family, working as a domestic for a white family in Windhoek for 12 years. When her husband Naftali finally finds a job, she returns home with the dream of resuming her former family life. She quickly discovers that during her absence her sister Selna has replaced her in the affections of her children - and her husband.