"Bones" a documentary by Normandla Vilakazi about the repatriation of Saartjie Baartman

"Bones" a documentary by Normandia Vilakazi about the repatriation of Saartjie Baartman

“You are never alone. Sara is with you always. And through this film, I hope to spread that message wide and far. There are no coincidences, and your existence as a Black Woman is more glorious than you realise." Nomandla Vilakazi

Directed by Nomandla Vilakazi, Bones is a documentary that explores the repatriation of Sara 'Saartjie' Baartman and the fight to return her home to South Africa in 2002.

Told through the lens of the poet and writer Dr. Diana Ferrus, she retells the story of the return, highlighting the power of the pen to lead the charge in restorative justice and the promotion of ancestral healing.

Presented by SARA'S ECHO, Bones is part of an educational femicide and gender-based violence (FGBV) awareness project that uses powerful documentary films and interactive workshops to contribute to critical issues like FGBV, consent, body autonomy, and respect for ourselves and others.

Source: https://www.iziko.org.za/events/bones/

Biography 

Nomandla Vilakazi worked on this documentary as a thesis for the Master's of Documentary Arts course at the University of Cape Town. In her documentary, Ms Vilakazi shares the different names of Sarah Baartman, though she refers to her as “Sara” in the film.

Ms Vilakazi was originally born in KwaZulu-Natal and grew up in Johannesburg. In this documentary, there are narrations from Ms Vilakazi, Anneline Kotze, who is one of the curators of exhibitions at Iziko Museums, and Hassna Ait Taleb, who at the time of filming, was a Master's student in the African Feminist department.