A Kalahari Family is a film consisted of five series released in 2002, directed by John Marshall, an anthropologist. The film depicts the life of a family Ju/'hoansi, who lives in Nyae Nyae. It took 14 years to make this film and the story follows the family from 1951-2001 for fifty years. These people are Bushmen and their main occupation is hunting and gathering.
The film succeeded in telling the story it set out to tell in a way that it depicted Ju/'hoansi as they really recorded them doing their everyday activities. The main character is ≠Oma Tsamkxao and the film follows him and his family. It is supposed to convey the story of Ju/'hoansi and their daily activities. They are independent hunters and there are changes throughout the span of fifty years. The film succeed in telling the real story about the Bushmen so that they could be understood in a better way. They were considered as primitive among masses and Marshall let Ju/'hoansi speak and show the work they do in Namibia, in Nyae Nyae. It can be seen how they develop their situation and how they gradually improve the quality of their life.
The treatment of the subject of A Kalahari Family is fair because the film is documentary and has five parts. The total amount of time is six hours which is enough to tell the story of fifty-year-old development of the Ju/'hoansi and to depict the changes they go through due to their own wishes and because of other people who would be eager to use them for exploitation. There is also a development of Ju/'hoansi because the times are changing and the development of Marshall who gets more and more involved in the lives of the family from Kalahari. He pushes his Western point of view aside and accepts the customs of the Ju/'hoansi. Because of politics, they could use less territory in the Kalahari. Therefore, they had to adapt themselves to the new conditions. The fact that the shooting took place for fifty years makes this film a true testimony of the life of Ju/'hoansi. Marshall uses historical data and current situation, maps, footage and images. He is the narrator at times so that he can explain the situation to the audience.
The film is insightful in numerous ways because it is fascinating that it took half a century to make it. In the scientific terms this film is very significant, but it also left trace in documentary filmmaking. It is insightful to see that there was racism and that some people who were Bushmen were exposed in a museum.
The powerful scenes of A Kalahari family are those that depict the relationship the Ju/'hoansi have with nature and that their way of living is harmonious. There is also a baobab which can be seen in numerous shots, but eventually dies. At the same time, there is the decline of the Ju/'hoansi and they encounter Western products, such as alcohol. There is also violence related to family issues and bad eating habits. Ultimately, the Ju/'hoansi want to run a farm and change their lifestyle to some point.
The film related to me in a way that it made me think about indigenous peoples and their struggle to survive in modern times. It made me change a prior opinion because I was not aware of the fact that there is so much racism involved in the lives of the people who deserve the best treatment for being able to survive in a desert for so long. I admire these people, but at the same time I feel sorry for them because they should not accept the rules of the West.
Works Cited
Marshall, John, dir. A Kalahari Family. Documentary Educational Resources, 2002. Videocassette.
