Country of My Skull (2004)

Director:

John Boorman

Writers (WGA):

Antjie Krog (book)
Ann Peacock (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 mayo 2004 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Frase comercial:

A South African Story of Truth, Love and Reconcilliation

Plot:

Langston Whitfield is a Washington Post journalist. His editor provocatively sends him to South Africa...

Plot Keywords:

Interracial Relationship | South Africa

Awards:

2 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Reconciliation

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson	...	Langston Whitfield
Juliette Binoche	...	Anna Malan
Brendan Gleeson	...	De Jager
Menzi Ngubane	...	Dumi Mkhalipi (as Menzi 'Ngubs' Ngubane)
Sam Ngakane	...	Anderson
Aletta Bezuidenhout	...	Elsa
Lionel Newton	...	Edward Morgan
Langley Kirkwood	...	Boetie
Owen Sejake	...	Reverend Mzondo
Harriet Lenabe	...	Albertina Sobandia (as Harriet Manamela)
Louis Van Niekerk	...	Willem Malan
Jeremiah Ndlovu	...	Old Man in Wheelbarrow
Fiona Ramsey	...	Felicia Rheinhardt (as Fiona Ramsay)
Dan Robbertse	...	De Smidt (as Daniel Robbertse)
Robert Hobbs	...	Van Deventer

También conocida como:

Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa (UK) (working title)
In My Country (USA)
Truth (UK) (working title)
En mi tierra (Argentina) (video title) (Mexico) [es]
País en Africa, Un (Spain) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for language, including descriptions of atrocities, and for a scene of violence.

Duración:

105 min

País:

UK | Ireland | South Africa

Idioma:

English | Afrikaans

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sonido:

Dolby Digital

Clasificación:

Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Argentina:13 | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Germany:12 | Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16 | Mexico:B15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company:

Chartoff Productions

Quotes:

[first lines]
Nelson Mandela: Never, never, and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The South Bank Show: John Boorman (#28.18)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

De Aar

Reconciliation

John Boorman, an interesting film maker, takes us to South Africa after Apartheid. Right after the country underwent the big change during the last decade of the last century, a commission was formed in order to hear the atrocities that were committed by the old regime, as the victims, and their families, were invited to come forward and speak to the panel that was investigating. The film is based on a novel by Antjie Krog, but not having read it, one can't really give an opinion about how true the film is to the novel.

"In my Country", the movie based on this book in its American release, came and went quickly. We tried to see it during its debut, bu it disappeared from local screens in no time. We recently caught the movie on cable.

There are some interesting aspects of what the commission was trying to accomplish in trying to bring members of the repressive force to justice. As in other conflicts, the people that were involved in the atrocities keep repeating about how they were following orders, a poor excuse, since no one owned up to having done anything wrong. After all, this was a country in which a white minority controlled a big black majority, and who wanted to keep things unchanged.

At the center of the story is Anna Malan, a white South African, who is a radio personality. She follows the commission as more and more people are coming forward to tell their stories. A Washington Post black reporter, Langston Whitfield, is also covering the process. Inevitably, both come together. While they clash at first, they find common ground in their desire to tell the truth about South Africa.

Juliette Binoche and Samuel L. Jackson are seen as Anna and Langston. Both give good performances. Brendan Gleeson is seen as the evil De Jager, a man responsible for some of the crimes committed against the poor black of the country who were deemed terrorist by the controlling whites. Menzi Ngubone plays Dumi, Anna's assistant and Sam Ngakone makes a dignified appearance as Anderson, who works for Anna's family.

The film is interesting to watch as Mr. Boorman has given us a film to think about the criminal acts that were committed by a group of people that didn't stop to consider the consequences of what they were doing.