Variations on a Theme (Variasies op ‘n Tema) is written and directed by Jason Jacobs and Devon Delmar. Jacobs also narrates the story.
Hettie, a 79-year-old widow, is a goatherder. She is played by Hettie Farmer, Jacobs’ grandmother. Her father, Petros, spent four years fighting with the British in World War II. When he returned to his family, he refused to talk about what he had experienced. When the black South African soldiers returned, they were given a bicycle and a pair of boots. The white South African soldiers, on the other hand, were given land and livestock. Decades later, Hettie and other survivors of the black veterans are still haunted by the injustice their ancestors received. Consequently, they fall victim to scam artists who promise to pay out to them a “social relief fund” if they will just pay an application fee—or two.
Meanwhile, Hettie, who was sad when her husband died, has come to feel content with her quiet life with her goats, her neighbors and the natural world. When a large number of her relatives arrive from the city to celebrate her 80th birthday, she feels more imposed upon than grateful. This feeling is made worse when they insist that she leave her rural life and move to the city with them.
Unfortunately, when she forgets to take care of her goats, Hettie can’t deny that her memory is fading. She is forced to come to terms with the fact that she has to say goodbye to all the aspects of the life she has loved.
Variations on a Theme, which is a tidy one hour long, won the top award at the Rotterdam Film Festival.
