Bushmen’s Secret

Synopsis: When South African filmmaker Rehad Desai travels to the Kalahari to investigate global interest in ancient Bushmen knowledge, he meets Jan van der Westhuizen, a fascinating Khomani San traditional healer. Jan’s struggle to live close to nature is hampered by centuries of colonial exploitation of the San Bushmen and of their land. Unable to survive as they once did hunting and gathering, the Khomani now live in a state of poverty that threatens to see the last of this community forever.

One plant could make all the difference. Hoodia, a cactus used by Bushmen for centuries, has caught the attention of a giant pharmaceutical company. It now stands to decide the fate of the Khomani San. The film exposes us to a world where modernity collides with ancient ways, at a time when each has, strangely, come to rely on the other.
Language: English
Country: South Africa
Year of release: 2006
Year of production: 2006
Subjects: Anthropology; Development studies
Keywords: Bushmen; economic geography; Kalahari Desert; pharmaceuticals; traditional medicine

Name: Documentary Educational Resources
Email: docued@der.org
Web: http://der.org/ External site opens in new window
Phone: +1 617 926 0491
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MA 02472
USA
Notes: American company with an extensive catalogue of documentary films from around the world in the areas of ethnology, anthropology, world cultures, religion, women’s studies and human rights. Supplied on PAL/NTSC video and multi-region DVD, or download via the Reframe Collection (qv).

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