On 8 November 2013, the provocative South African documentary Fatherland opens at
the Bioscope Independent Cinema in Johannesburg.
Produced and directed by Tarryn Lee Crossman, the film follows three boys who spend
nine days inside the Afrikaans nationalistic “Kommandokorps’ military boot camps. In
these camps, teenage boys are indoctrinated into a pre-Apartheid way of thinking
that results in them struggling to find their own identity within their communities and
the rainbow nation at large.
The film explores the fine line between patriotism and racism as preached by parents
and camp leaders who pressure the children to participate in a physically and mentally
grueling process.
Says Crossman: “Fatherland was a difficult film to make, because the last thing I
wanted to do as a filmmaker was to perpetuate the racial stereotypes about South
Africa. Racial relations are still sensitive in a country where its policies segregated its
people for generations. I resolved to produce the film that will create open debate
and allow us to stop pretending that these issues don’t exist.’
The camp leaders, who were proud to share their philosophies with the rest of South
Africa, gave Crossman unprecedented access to film for the duration of the camp.
Visit http://www.thebioscope.co.za for more information and to buy tickets.
View the trailer at http://www.screenafrica.com/page/industry-interviews/1636123-
Fatherland.
