Review on Heart of Whiteness

Rehad Desai’s 2005 documentary Heart of Whiteness initially sets out to determine what makes up a South African’s “white identity”. He takes his journey outside his comfort zone of Johannesburg and goes on a road trip across the country. His mission: to find and talk to those white South Africans from small isolated towns like Bethlehem and Orania.

Desai’s initial narration suggests he merely means to gently enquire the identity of white South Africans. However, is made very clear early in the film that he is not objective to the matter. This is heard in his narration about the complex/flats in which he lives. He tells the audience that domestic workers who want to enter the building have to bring their pass er ID in order to get in.

Desai implements a very standard form of documentary. He both narrates and features in the documentary.  The documentary’s footage is composed of footage he takes himself and archive footage taken about Apartheid and the “new” South Africa. Sometimes he has both types of footage in the frame at once. For example, when his neighbour is talking about how there are too many people coming into the city for work. As she is speaking, Desai cuts away to an old clip called Order out of chaos that appears on the right side of the screen. The clip questions why the “bantu’s” are coming into the city that has no work. On the left side of the screen, appears footage of current people in the city in lines for work. This clever little device is used repeatedly throughout the film and used to show that for many South Africans, things have not really changed.

The idea behind the film was spot on but there were many things wrong with this documentary. The name, “heart of whiteness” is a play on words of the famous book “Heart of darkness”. This suggests that the filmmaker affiliates the term “white” to something negative.

He also mishandles many interactions with his sources. The first issue was his interaction with his neighbour. He narrates to the audience that she came up to him to complain. However, we see her sitting in his car; apparently she got in just before he was to leave. This is a bit suspect and it seemed that it was in fact Desai called her over for comment. He also speaks to a group of Afrikaners when they are drunk. This is unethical for reason we do not to stipulate.

The biggest problem with this documentary is that he only speaks to people from an older generation. He never speaks to any young child or adults. The story is extremely one sided, especially considering he stated his initial goal was find out what “white identify” meant. He only discovered what some very conservative white Afrikaners thought and believe.

 

It is after Desai encounters the sculpture of Hendrik Verwoerd in Orania, we learn of his extreme contempt towards the people of the Orania (and people like them). He goes on to suggest that they might be white supremacists that will one day try to take over again. This is very unethical approach as he is makes sweeping statements about one very small minority group that has not actually done anything negative. Desai has seemed to digress from his initial goal and let his own prejudices gotten in the way of an objective view, which was his initial plan.

 

Who should watch it? Even though, Desai makes sweeping and general statements, this film is essential for young South Africans to see. This film showcases that both sides need to be on board to create an equal South Africa.