Short Abstract:

Richard Werbner, Botswana (53 min) UK Production Tswana, English subtitles The film tells an intimate story of change from generation to generation in family life. It illuminates a murky impasse between families, when villagers, taking sides, tell the truth as many different truths or whisper with threats of scandal. It was shot in Botswana’s Moremi village with its awesome landscapes, during the dramatic national patriotic celebration for Botswana’s 50th anniversary in 2016. The focus is on John, a church minister and a leading village elder, trained in settling disputes in the South African mines. John gets entangled in the troubled affairs of a quarrelsome young couple, a stay-at-home farmer and his police constable, town-savvy wife. They claim to be still in love. But when the husband confesses to adultery – ‘breaking the yard’ in Tswana terms – and the wife decides to fight for her rights in court, John finds himself in an awkwardly position. Even with his own bishop, he struggles to reach a good resolution. This remains uncertain, as arguments in the village’s customary court turn from adultery issues to putting his and other elders’ care for the couple into question.