Everyday Activist - Ghostland (MLJFF 2016)

Posted on Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 05:30 PM

Ghostland (MLJFF 2016)

Movie Review by Everyday Activist X CalgaryMovies.com

I’m not really sure what I expected when I started watching Ghostland, but I definitely wasn’t expecting a light hearted film starting with Ju/Hoansi Bushmen doing a re-enactment of their lifestyle for tourists. Their life has had to change with the times as the government has forbidden them to continue their tradition of hunting. In order to survive they have had to integrate tourists into their daily lives. Because of the presence of foreigners some of the Bushmen have quite good English, which favorably positions them for the next adventures that happen in the film.

As their village becomes inundated with foreigners, they become curious about the world around them. Through the efforts of a German NGO, a number of people from the Bushmen tribe get to tour around Namibia to visit other tribes and tourist destinations. I loved watching them discover the evil sugary goodness of pop and the bitterness of coffee as well as their surprise at learning how corn flour was made. The exchange of knowledge between tribes was interesting. Bushmen don’t have livestock, so they couldn’t understand other tribe’s dependence on milk.

When the Bushmen first encountered Europeans, they thought they were ghosts due to the pale color of their skin. The next trip involves four members of the Bushmen tribe going to the real Ghostland in Germany. Where the visitors enjoyed their quiet life in Namibia, they had trouble adapting to the constant noise of the city. With so many milling about, they point out that no one knows anyone as well as the fact that everyone is always working to have nice things even when they are tired. No wonder they had to come to Namibia to get away from the noise!

The main purpose of the visit to Germany was to educate students on the Bushmen ways, which they enjoyed doing. They also commented that it’s nice that in Western culture everyone is welcome at the table, hosts, guests and students. As with most trips the Bushmen were ready to go home towards the end. One woman wanted to bring back some of the riches from Europe to her people, but couldn’t quite figure out how that was possible. At least they have a better understanding of the people coming to visit them.

Ghostland will screen as part of the Marda Loop Justice Film Festival 2016 on Sunday November 20th at 12:30 pm at the River Park Auditorium in Marda Loop.

The guest speaker will be Hope Mbapaha, who was born in the northern part of Namibia, growing up in a fairly small town with her parents and two siblings. Hope graduated high school in her hometown and moved to Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia to attend a secretarial college. In 2011 Hope came to Canada as a refugee, leaving behind Windhoek for the western world. Although Hope was brought up with modern conveniences before leaving Namibia, her grandmother still lives in the bush and practices a traditional lifestyle much like those in the film. Hope currently volunteers at HIV Community Link, where she positioned herself upon arrival in Canada to expand her network and has become a permanent fixture amongst the African women who volunteer for the agency. 

Calgary Showtimes: Marda Loop Justice Film Festival 2016 > | Ghostland >