The Cinema of Apartheid; Race and Class in South African Film - Keyan Tomaselli

The Cinema of Apartheid - Keyan Tomaselli - Radix - 1989, first edition - 299pp, index - Paperback in very good condition; an unread copy - One previous ownership.

Tomaselli analyses the historical development and present state of South African cinema. Assuming no special knowledge on the part of the reader, the author provides fascinating descriptions of the films, with penetrating comments on how they reflect South African realities.

Tomaselli addresses all aspects of the film industry. While focusing on domestic productions, Tomaselli also discusses the many international filmmakers who use South Africa as a location. He begins with an account of how the government uses subsidies and censorship to determine which films are made.. He explores the tensions between English language and Afrikaans language film, and between  films made for whites and films made for blacks. Considerable attention is given to the media and the distribution system which shape the nature of film discourse in South Africa.. Tomaselli takes his readers behind the scenes to examine the industry in its financial infrastructure, its marketing strategies and its work habits. He concludes with an appraisal of the independent cinema created on the margins of society and the obstacles facing South Africans who wish to create films with artistic and political integrity. He shows how social polarization has produced a great gap between what is and what might be, but holds out some hope for progress.