Thus, the intended audience of the film is somewhat difficult to determine. On one hand, "Sarafina" is not a purely educational film about apartheid, as the filmmakers seem to assume a certain basic familiarity with the issue on the part of the audience. The film is told from the black perspective, and clearly shows apartheid as evil. However, it also unsparingly shows the violent methods often used by the desperate black populace as well as the unjust actions of the government.
Furthermore, Sarafina's teacher is not particularly wise, as she foolishly offers to hide a gun, even though she knows she is likely to be caught. Therefore the film is not about the inspirational power of education. The film juxtaposes inspirational images of students engaging in political activism with images of violence...
The film provides a perhaps unintentional and surprising
education in the violence of the black community against one another, as well as shows the oppressive and violent actions of the white government.
The most inspiring scenes are when Sarafina transcends the limits of her existence, even the limits of her gender as she images herself as Nelson Mandela. Sarafina's teacher and
mother provide positive real-life female role models for the girl, more so than most of the men in the film. But these fantasy segments are unlikely to delight the typical musical audience seeking escapist entertainment. Also, because the film is set in the 1970s, it cannot provide a really happy ending -- apartheid will continue, and presumably so will the violence suffered by Sarafina.
Works Cited
Sarafina." 1992. Directed by Darrell James Roodt.
