During his stay in Cape Town as a film student, Shatho Tibone was inspired by an initial casual trip he took to the scenic but informal settlement of Hangberg.
Beyond its township aesthetic, Shatho describes the place as a paradise on earth. “I was surprised to find that most of the people who lived here spoke of how proud they are of their Khoi and San heritage. Coming from Botswana, where we have been indoctrinated to believe that San people are uncivil and inferior, I was intrigued to find a community that stands tall and completely owns their African identity,” he says.
Shortly after, Tibone says he found out that the community had been facing a forever lasting history of state violence inflicted by the South African Police Service and the City of Cape Town.
He also found out that there wasn’t enough of a representation on the daily issues and uncertainties that the community faced. “So, through the participatory collective effort of a few journalists, filmmaker and community leaders I went on a 5 year journey to document the story of this community which has become an enigma in South African imagination,” Tibone says.
