Paljas

Paljas is a rewaking of a bygone era of good Afrikaans films which captures an essence of a lonely boy and his family . The dusty landscape simbolises the barrenis of the MacDonalds. Willem also showes this by his refusel to speak When Maneul arrives it is changed in a way the others in the family can't comprehend. Katinka Heyns is one of the most talented directors on the South African movie scene. This Oscar deserving film can only be beter upon by this briliant woman.

Refreshing to see that someone had the brains to put good money behind a good movie in a country that isn't known for its cinema endeavours. I felt proud when I saw this movie. Brilliant acting from a cast you can see they love what they do.

I would love to know in which country this movie was released and what other people thought. It was entered for best foreign movie at the Oscars in (I think) 97, but it didn't get nominated, one of the reasons being that the lengthy version (not the well edited one that got to the big screen) was submitted.

If you can find this movie, watch and enjoy.

A simple but brilliant storyline captured by what must be a vastly talented director. Wonderful camerawork and good acting. This is a thorough, deserving and most enjoyable film. It will no doubt remain a gem in the archives of the art-film.

Katinka Heyns is one of South Africa's finest filmmakers, and her 1998 film "Paljas" is an enchanting, if drawn-out, fable of hope overcoming prejudice. Set in the heartland of the Karoo (the lunar semi-desert that sprawls across South Africa's interior) it chronicles the tale of the Afrikaans-speaking Macdonald family whose conservative beliefs are thrown into turmoil when a touring circus pays their isolated village a visit. ("Paljas" is an Afrikaans word that doesn't quite translate into English, but denotes "enchantment".)

Heyns' film is remarkable for its warm yet unaffected simplicity. Paljas is essentially a domestic drama and Heyns assembled a superlative cast of local actors to effect this in a beautifully understated way. Marius Weyers is excellent as the long-suffering, widowed patriarch, and there are some astonishing set-pieces between the family members. The Karoo landscape is beautifully shot and utilized perfectly, as it quietly undulates between forbidding wasteland and Norman Rockwellian heartland.

Although the film has its faults (it would have benefited from some judicious editing) there are moments of pure poetry, and Paljas should be essential viewing for any connoisseur of independent/foreign film. One only hopes that we will be seeing more of Heyns' work in the future, and, indeed, better distribution for this hard-to-come-by screen gem.

In a world where what most people consider South African (cinematicly) is Charleze Theron it fills one with pride to call this picture our own. PALJAS stands head and shoulders above the rest. While most S.A. filmmakers think that the only thing the world wants to see are pics about our politics Katinka Heyns and Chris Barnard (not the physician) chose to portray the life of an ordinary S.A. family in a story filled with pathos and genuine characters instead of the hackneyed anti apartheid heroes of yesteryear. this makes PALJAS truly deserving of a high ranking place among the best of world cinema. as with CHILDREN OF HEAVEN (From Iran) PALJAS centres on a typical S.A. family and their toils and tribulations. anyone hoping to see a True reflection of life in apartheid S.A. without the artifice of modern day propaganda could do no better than to watch this unique gem of a film. Incidentaly for those interested in political S.A. film see PROMISED LAND