Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
liberation struggle and in exile, as well as with the social conditions in the country after
independence. Thus, the writing of Ellen Namhila (
The Price of Freedom;
1998), Kaleni
Hiyalwa (
Meekulu's Children;
2000) and Neshani Andreas (
The Purple Violet of
Oshaantu;
2001) gives us a great insight into the sociopolitical world of post-colonial
Namibia.
A New Initiation Song
(1994) is a collection of poetry and short fiction published by the
Sister Namibia collective. This volume's seven sections cover memories of girlhood, body
image, and heterosexual and lesbian relationships. Among the best works are those of Liz
Frank and Elizabeth !Khaxas. The most outstanding short stories include 'Uerieta' by Jane
Katjavivi, which describes a white woman's coming to terms with African life, and 'When
the Rains Came' by Marialena van Tonder, in which a farm couple narrowly survives a
drought. One contributor, Nepeti Nicanor, along with Marjorie Orford, also edited another
volume,
Coming on Strong
(1996).
Those who read German will appreciate the works of Giselher Hoffmann (b 1958),
which address historical and current Namibian issues. His first novel,
Im Bunde der Dritte
(Three's Company; 1984), is about poaching.
Die Erstgeboren
(The Firstborn; 1991) is
told from the perspective of a San group that finds itself pitted against German settlers.
Similarly, the Nama-Herero conflict of the late 19th century is described from the Nama
perspective in
Die Schweigenden Feuer
(The Silent Fires; 1994). It's also concerned with
the impact of modernisation on indigenous cultures.
Cinema
Since 2002, the Namibian Film Commission has been encouraging local film production
and promoting the country as a film location. In the same year, a little-known film called
Beyond Borders,
about the Ethiopian famine in 1984, was shot in the country - and the
film's star, Angelina Jolie, returned in 2006 to give birth to her daughter. On a more seri-
ous note, the annual Wild Cinema Festival is gaining impressive ground, attracting thou-
sands of theatregoers every autumn.
After a few hiccups, the story of Namibia's first president, Sam Nujoma, was turned in-
to a film in the form of
Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation
, which received mixed crit-
ical acclaim. In July 2011 the filming of the on-again-off-again fourth
Mad Max
movie
was moved to Namibia, after unexpected rain turned the Australian desert into a very un-
Mad Max
carpet of flowers.
