Two years in the making, this 13 part series of one hour programmes is hosted by Johnny Clegg, and produced by Curious Pictures, with writing by the excellent Tracy Murinik. If you are one of those artists (like me) who keeps meaning to get into your car and drive off into the country for an extended trip to see what and who is out there, this series will strengthen that resolve.
Host Johnny CleggTonight was the Karoo segment, and the landscape footage was breathtaking. The relaxed and engaging Clegg, who is an anthropologist as well as a musician, talks about photographers David Goldblatt, and Mikhael Subotzky and the context of their work in places like Die Hell and Beaufort West and visits actress Antoinette Pienaar, who for the past four years has been living with 91 year old herbalist and sheepherder Johannes Willemse to learn his skills. There is footage from the other worldly Afrika Burns music festival in its desolate setting, and in a David Kramer-esque moment, Clegg meets a group of four musicians on string instruments who play for the ‘Sandskoppers’ – a group of dancers, dressed in bright yellow and green who kick up the sand with their fast and fancy footwork.
Perfect viewing for a Sunday evening, and there are ten episodes of this major series to go.
A Mikhael Subotzky photograph from the Beaufort West series
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