Fatherland (2018) Full Length

Fatherland is a controversial coming-of-age documentary set in the remote South African bush. It follows a group of Afrikaner boys over 9 days at a military camp in the spirit of their fathers before them.

However, what starts out as basic training, fitness and camaraderie soon intensifies as the true nature of the camp is revealed and the boys are forced to question their place in the ‘New South Africa’.

These camps are designed to recreate a sense of Nationalism amongst the next generation of Afrikaaners, though as their training progresses ideological elements emerge revealing the stark realities of their training.

The film follows three particular boys and Col. Franz Jooste -an ex-SADF soldier that fought for his country pre 1994 – and focuses on the conflicting views developed by the boys. Under the strict leadership of their camp leader, they struggle to find their identity within their own communities and within their ‘rainbow’ nation at large. The children are forced to participate in a physically and mentally grueling process that tests their values, beliefs and identities on every level.