Sea Point Days

After his previous documentaries When the War Is Over (about two former fighters against apartheid) and The Mothers' House (about three generations of women in a township of Cape Town), South African director François Verster turns his focus to the Sea Point suburb of Cape Town. And more specifically to the promenade on the waterfront, punctuated by various public swimming pools, where all strata of society come together. During apartheid the promenade was "for whites only," but once apartheid was abolished, integration quickly took place here. Verster filmed for a couple of years in this melting pot of race, culture, age, class and religion. The film is divided into five themes, in which several people reappear and Verster paints a portrait of contemporary South Africa. Without any narration, only by observing, he manages to capture this small spot where at first sight everyone seems happy. At times, the photography is striking: for example, he films from a paraglider that flies toward the promenade from the surrounding mountains and employs underwater cameras as well. What makes this such a special place is beautifully articulated by a maintenance worker: "Water is love and life. Without water, there cannot be life and there cannot be love."