The Boers at the End of the World
In a remote stretch of Patagonia, Argentina, there is a 100-year-old community that speaks Afrikaans - a language only spoken in South Africa. After the destruction of their farms caused by a war with…
The Boers at the End of the World
In a remote stretch of Patagonia, Argentina, there is a 100-year-old community that speaks Afrikaans - a language only spoken in South Africa. After the destruction of their farms caused by a war with the British, these Boers - descendants of Dutch settlers - sailed across the ocean to start a new life in 1902. The Boers headed into the arid heart of Patagonia where they found a land that reminded them of their distant home. Today, their children and grandchildren still endure in this harsh place. They speak archaic Afrikaans, cook traditional foods and sing the old folk songs. But despite their fierce pride in their roots, their culture has been eroded over time and only a few dozen of the oldest individuals still speak their mother tongue. They struggle to keep their culture alive but are resigned to the knowledge that they are the last generation to speak the language in the region, and they will be gone in a decade or two. It is a parallel world of contemporary Afrikaans society, separate from the Apartheid policies that intervened in South Africa. The film is a portrait of the last days of the community and one family's longing to reconnect with Africa.
The Boers at the End of the World
Documentary
Film Details
In a remote stretch of Patagonia, Argentina, there is a 100-year-old community that speaks Afrikaans - a language only spoken in South Africa. After the destruction of their farms caused by a war with the British, these Boers - descendants of Dutch settlers - sailed across the ocean to start a new life in 1902. The Boers headed into the arid heart of Patagonia where they found a land that reminded them of their distant home.
Today, their children and grandchildren still endure in this harsh place. They speak archaic Afrikaans, cook traditional foods and sing the old folk songs. But despite their fierce pride in their roots, their culture has been eroded over time and only a few dozen of the oldest individuals still speak their mother tongue.
They struggle to keep their culture alive but are resigned to the knowledge that they are the last generation to speak the language in the region, and they will be gone in a decade or two. It is a parallel world of contemporary Afrikaans society, separate from the Apartheid policies that intervened in South Africa. The film is a portrait of the last days of the community and one family's longing to reconnect with Africa..