The Khoekhoe Saga

In 1810, indigenous Khoekhoe woman Sara Baartman was taken from Southern Africa and paraded on European stages as part of a freakshow. Only in 2002 were her remains brought back from Paris and buried in her ancestral home. Baartman’s return became a catalyst for the revival of Khoekhoean dignity and pride and the rebirth of Khoekhoean identity. This fascinating film brings a fresh perspective and a new narrative to the Khoekhoe herders of South Africa, exploring the territories and historical events surrounding various breakaway groups such as the Hessequas, the Namaquas, and the Griquas, and interviewing their descendants. Using oral and archeological records, and re-examining old European diaries and reports for hints of the truth, the film rewrites the history of Southern and South Africa, deeply enriching the historical framework before 1652 and the arrival of Jan Van Riebeeck.