Movie Review: Sam Nzima – A Journey Through His Lens
One-liner: An enlightening, scattered yet important portrait documentary about a haunting photograph, its political influence and an unsung hero.
Sam Nzima may not be a household name, but is linked to an indelible photograph of the late Hector Pieterson, which came to serve as an iconic representation of the school riots during the 1976 Soweto Uprising. A haunting image that has lived on through its inextricable link to this monumental day and turning point in South African history, the story behind this iconic photograph and the photographer responsible for its existence comes into clear focus in the documentary, Sam Nzima: A Journey Through His Lens.
Director Nhlanhla Mthethwa rewinds to his early days in rural Transvaal and recounts his rise: how he became involved with photography, his journey as a frontline photojournalist, and some of the challenges associated with protecting and securing the copyright to his own photograph. Told through intimate interviews, student riot archive footage, photographs from the life and times, it creates a vivid portrait of this key photographer.
Sam Nzima: A Journey Through His Lens summons the zeitgeist of apartheid South Africa in 1976, giving Sam Nzima his dues while capturing an important part of South African history. If there ever was a photograph that encapsulated a turning point, this image of Hector Pietersen must be it. While many people didn’t know the name Sam Nzima, with his image going far and wide, this documentary is testament to his persistence.
While he had reservations about the photograph initially, Nzima came to realise the image’s true power. Through interviews, we get a clearer picture of Nzima and the age in terms of apartheid, discrimination and race politics. Unpacking the photograph’s influence as well as what became of the people in it, there are many avenues for this documentary as it attempts to pull all the disparate elements together.
An eclectic mix of archive and interviews with activists, journalists and family, Sam Nzima: A Journey Through His Lens follows a traditional route as a documentary coming in at 74 minutes. It’s wonderful that Nzima got to tell his story before his passing. While a little scattered, the documentary portrait offers a warm retrospective of the photographer’s enduring contribution, life and career.
The late Sam Nzima participates willingly and gives an honest interview which serves as the backbone to this documentary. Having passed before its completion of Sam Nzima: A Journey Through His Lens, he won’t know the true magnitude of his contribution, which lives on. He has been acknowledged and awarded for his efforts in retrospect, given the funeral of a national hero. The image told the story of Soweto Uprising in a comprehensive way, now a very real and celebrated part of South African history through its visceral and moving snapshot of a moment in time.
The bottom line: Enlightening
