National Khoisan Consultative Conference 2001 "Khoisan Diversity in National Unity" Oudtshoorn, 29 March to 1 April Keyan G Tomaselli The Great Dance recovers an imagined past, an empowering self-reliant condition, and cinematically restored the memory of the San's lost sense of mobility. Such films are empowering to dispossessed people, like for example, Baptiste Salavador, Liaison Officer, Schmidsdrift: "The film makes us feel really San ... and that we have never lost our culture and our tradition ... If a San loses his hunting rights, it is like putting him in a camp like cattle". More... Melissa Heckler Author and consultant on San affairs, New York, USA "How can I thank you for the gift of your film? It will remain among my great treasures. The film, viewed last night by my son Paul (who was in Nyae Nyae with me), my partner Peter (who has had to endure hours of my conversation about the Ju'hoansi) and I watched the film. Peter said "Brilliant. Pure Poetry. Made real for me everything you've been describing (obviously inadequately!) for the last six years. Paul thought it riveting, truthful and "awesome." What can I say? It is the very opposite of John Marshall's concept of "death by myth." You and Damon have done the standard-setting job of capturing both the hard reality of the current !Xo situation, and the startling world views that have so much to offer contemporary, materialistically blind-sided cultures. I was thrilled that you didn't romanticise - but let the story be told by those whose story it was. There were so many extraordinary touches. I hope you would consider showing it at our proposed storytelling conference in Cape Town in 2001. The connection between such filmmaking and storytelling is so beautifully illustrated. Only one thing: I wish there were some address listed in case people want to send letters or to send funds to help. Don't know if that was considered and just not appropriate. But often people want to know more." Paul Baines Chartered Accountant, Cape Town, South Africa Great job - I'm glad we could get the full impact of the movie by ourselves - you're captured a totally unique and sensitive insight into a vanishing culture with total integrity and dignity. You've enabled the viewer to "put on the mind" of the hunter who is spiritually, emotionally and physically bound to his environment. WELL DONE! Ana Gonzales Mother, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA The film is AMAZING! I've been able to watch it a couple of times and am delighted with the layers that continue to unfold - as if it's a new viewing of another film each time I've watched it. The voice of the storyteller is mesmerising to me; it has such a deep and sincere quality to it. The touch is masterful and artistic and the fire comes through with such strength that it carries an indelible mark... Julian Wannell Executive Search Consultant, London, UK My wife and I watched The Great Dance, and were both entranced and pretty much speechless at the end of the film. I found it extraordinary in every sense and an immensely powerful snapshot of a type of life that may well become extinct one day. It depicts a side of Africa that I do not know but would like to see soon. As for the hunting, I can relate to the method, as it has similarities to deer stalking. However, we stalk deer for an occasional piece of the beauty of the highlands of Scotland, for the peace, for the hard exercise, for the camaraderie, for the closeness to nature, to conserve and manage overpopulated deer herds, to appease what is left of the "hunting gene" in us and for other things – by choice. These people do it for survival and their rituals have developed around that principle. Watching that film was a very valuable experience.

 

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