Aftermath of ... "Skin" ... the Sandra Laing story ... A Review ...


I saw the emotive movie "Skin" last night 4/17/09 (part of Filmfest DC) full of misconstrued love and misguided angst - which really took me home in a BIG way ... sigh ...

The setting is of a very conservative Boere couple/family who gave birth to an almost black child and the trials and tribulations they faced - no to mention what was imparted onto Sandra - her struggle and how her life was being determined by ridiculous laws governing one’s birthright and acceptance of being "classified" as “white” South African citizens – or being denied citizenship – the right to vote or have a say in one’s dispensation - all under the guise of Christianity ...

Being eau fait with the story - as it unfolded in the sensationalist tabloids back home (circa: 1965 - 1984) and seeing the rest of Sandra's troubled life being played out on the silver screen - albeit 12,000 km across the world from the Eastern Transvaal - the unnecessary conflicts her unenlightened openly racist family helped cause - jolted me back to just how messed-up my country and how stupid the draconian laws defying the simplicity of that which is - should be regarded and accepted as purely human in nature can be wrenched apart … torn asunder..

As is commonplace with South Africa - Sandra's whole life-story being devoid of any compassion - is just a mere fragment of many much more grandiose tragedies filled with disruption, pain and suffering - human misery ... agony … pathos and death that came out of Africa - and actually is/was and will be for generations to come. This only goes to prove just how f*****-up South Africa really was ... all in the vain attempt of trying to uphold the "pure" ethnic strain of "whiteness" ... the "God-Given" status quo – for only the white man was created in God’s sublime image.


Our troubled past should be so apparent/obvious that we would naturally come together in that common thread that keeps

I saw this film at the charity screening and was amazed that I hadn't known about this story before - The fact that it is true makes it all the more engaging.
I took my teenage daughter and she loved it - she hadn't really learnt much about Apartheid before. This made her think more deeply about issues of race.
I am no good at writing reviews - all I can say is that this film is worth the ticket price and far far more - it is an extraordinary story that everyone should watch.