Movie Review: Variations on a Theme
One-liner: An authentic, contemplative, haunting and poetic slow cinema drama with a documentary-feel and experimental pure cinema appeal.
Variations on a Theme is a contemplative and intimate drama set in the small community of Kharkams in the Northern Cape. This rural story centres on Hettie, a goat herd who becomes ensnared in a scam where her father’s World War II reparations are used as bait to extract money from her and her fellow villagers. Filmed on location with many community members cast as themselves, the film immerses the audience in a quiet village where life moves at its own deliberate pace.
Following Hettie’s daily routines, the film adopts a “circular” narrative that revisits specific points around town as they subtly shift over the course of five days. By casting locals, directors Devon Delmar and Jason Jacobs achieve a documentary-like feel for this sparsely scripted slice-of-life drama. Hettie has little to say, but she carries the performance through her storied face and wistful, searching stares.
The town itself becomes a character, revealed through shifting shades of light and shadow. A haunting soundtrack by Mikhaila Smith guides the viewer, contrasting rustic visuals against desolate landscapes to evoke a profound sense of isolation. Hettie seems content in her own company, allowing the stillness of slow cinema to permeate every frame. While their previous film, Carissa, was shot in a restrictive square format, Delmar and Jacobs have opted for a widescreen presentation here. This effectively captures the expansive landscapes, lending a sense of scale to an otherwise intimate story.
There are several parallels with the Lesotho film It’s Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection, which also centred on an elderly woman facing community upheaval. The portraiture, unconventional format, themes and sense of stoic resilience all resonate with a similar poise and experimental feel. Variations on a Theme offers sharp political insight into the legacy of colonialism and apartheid, noting how the government effectively paid Black soldiers with a bicycle and a pair of shoes rather than land or money. This social commentary heightens the film’s central theme: the act of waiting.
Waiting for a better tomorrow.
This sense of waiting weaves through the narrative, forcing the audience to re-examine their notions of storytelling. With its fixed shots and steady pace, the film’s slow cinema aesthetic and repetitive editing may challenge moviegoers used to sensory-overload blockbusters. However, for those who lean in, Variations on a Theme feels like a series of moving artworks – thoughtful, poetic and haunting.
The film is punctuated by surreal, gritty touches, such as a man digging a trench in his lounge to find treasure – a gesture that feels both optimistic and futile – and a community struggling to get by with what little light they have. The film is deeply personal, as Jason Jacobs’s grandmother plays the lead in his own hometown, supported by a narrator who offers deeper insights into Hettie’s inner world.
Clocking in at just over an hour, this arthouse gem is an inspiration for independent filmmakers. Winning the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam Festival signals a maturing of South African cinema and underscores the importance of funding agencies supporting original, independent voices. Variations on a Theme is a mature, grounded, and occasionally heartbreaking chronicle of hardship.
It reminds the viewer to be still, offering perspective on suffering and celebrating the hardy heritage of small-town South Africa. Ultimately, it is a documentary-style portrait of a woman anticipating her 80th birthday – and she is in no mood to celebrate. With two strong films now under their belt, Delmar and Jacobs have proven they are ready to tackle even larger projects, mining local stories for universal truths.
The bottom line: Meditative
