yesterday-darell roodt
”Yesterday” was better than today... -a film directed by Darrell Roodt-
„Yesterday” is a movie written and directed by the filmmaker Darrell Roodt in 2004.This movie
is regarded as being the first international movie shot in Zulu language.It encompasses several
issues which are extremely important in contemporary South Africa,as for instance:
poverty,illness mainly with HIV infection and unproper medical attention.
Yesterday,a thirty year old Zulu woman is the main protagonist of Darrell Roodt’s movie.She
lives in a small rural village in KwaZulu‐Natal province of South Africa, more precisely in
Rooihoek with her seven years old daughter Beauty.The movie begins with the depiction of a
dusty and barren landscape of the region,in summer(ehlobo).Due to her relentless cough,the
central character has to go to the nearest village,which is two hours away walking.On their way
to see the doctor,her daughter asks her a quite peculiar question: why is she not a bird and could
fly like one?This symbol about the bird bares deep symbolic significance because it is a
recurrent motif throughout the movie.For many Zulu native people the birds are considered to be
the “souls of human beings”1 thus in a way symbolizing eternal life.Considering the fact that
usually symbols are open to interpretation,in our context is mainly regarded as being a symbol
of freedom,especialy the desire to achieve it.On their way to the clinic from Koomdrai ,they
encounter two teachers who are trying to find jobs(it is actually mentioned that they are seeking
for jobs for two years)in her village.After a
„Yesterday” is a movie written and directed by the filmmaker Darrell Roodt in 2004.This movie
is regarded as being the first international movie shot in Zulu language.It encompasses several
issues which are extremely important in contemporary South Africa,as for instance:
poverty,illness mainly with HIV infection and unproper medical attention.
Yesterday,a thirty year old Zulu woman is the main protagonist of Darrell Roodt’s movie.She
lives in a small rural village in KwaZulu‐Natal province of South Africa, more precisely in
Rooihoek with her seven years old daughter Beauty.The movie begins with the depiction of a
dusty and barren landscape of the region,in summer(ehlobo).Due to her relentless cough,the
central character has to go to the nearest village,which is two hours away walking.On their way
to see the doctor,her daughter asks her a quite peculiar question: why is she not a bird and could
fly like one?This symbol about the bird bares deep symbolic significance because it is a
recurrent motif throughout the movie.For many Zulu native people the birds are considered to be
the “souls of human beings”1 thus in a way symbolizing eternal life.Considering the fact that
usually symbols are open to interpretation,in our context is mainly regarded as being a symbol
of freedom,especialy the desire to achieve it.On their way to the clinic from Koomdrai ,they
encounter two teachers who are trying to find jobs(it is actually mentioned that they are seeking
for jobs for two years)in her village.After a