What the Soil Remembers examines the trauma of the Die Vlakte community uprooted during the apartheid regime in 1960s South Africa, bringing to the fore the university built in its place that would become synonymous with the foundation of Apartheid (Afrikaans for “separateness”). The film recounts this defining moment in Cape Town through the lens of the elders who experienced the violent displacement and sit at the centre of the ongoing process of reconciliation. To this day, the university continues to grapple with its legacy of prejudice while the community stands strong in their demand for reparations, possible only through the power of collective action.

What the Soil Remembers has been screened at notable international film festivals including the Durban International Film Festival (South Africa), Regina International Film Festival (Canada), Sheffield Documentary Film Festival (United Kingdom), and garnered the prestigous Ammodo Tiger Short Film Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (Netherlands). On this occasion of the film screening, the session will be followed by a dialogue and Q&A with producer Adrian Van Wyk, who is currently artist-in-residence at SAM.

This programme was hosted as part of Residency Thursday, an ongoing series of activations and presentations led by SAM residents.

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