User Reviews

Being a white Englishman who served in the South African Defence force, I have a direct relation to this film. I can definitely say I can relate to the character of Nick in this little movie. For a student film to be brave enough to tackle the controversial topic that the film explores, says a lot about the filmmakers. They've got balls. After watching the youtube trailer for the film and seeing all the negative comments, the arguments taking place and the memories of my own time served in the defense force, I knew I had to get hold of this film. It really does ask an important question which I believe many viewers have missed completely.

If you are looking for a gung ho action movie, or a hero flick, this is not it. This little film will stand out and say it the way it was. My experience in the defense force was not something I enjoyed. Being part of an apartheid government that brainwashed us, young kids, to protect a border from communism. To keep a majority population at bay in the townships. We were not trained to battle for freedom, we were trained to oppress it.

I've never had the inclination to voice my opinions on my time in the defense force, mainly because the majority of the brainwashed soldiers that served were very much like the Afrikaans character in the film who believes he is doing everything right. And because of that, they react no differently to my opinions, threatening me or getting very aggressive. I believe the filmmakers have opened a wound that many ex servicemen never were able to close after apartheid fell and handed the South African Government over to the very men we were trained to kill. I believe these very men feel betrayed, and seeing a film like this, that brutally tells the truth, the clear divide between English and Afrikaans troops, is something that opens a can of worms.

I say Bravo and well done. I have never been able to explain to my wife, the experiences I had during my time in the defense force. My son has often been curious about my time there, and now finally, I can show them a film that speaks the very words for me.

So thank you for telling my story. I know I am one of the few who believed what was going on was not right. I will be called a traitor.

But thats the wonderful thing about todays world. We are free to have an opinion. Or are we?

You decide.

A very well put together film. I highly recommend it if you have an open mind about the South African Defense Force.

This is a truly excellent Action/Drama packed with everything a short film requires and desires. Not only does the film provide in terms of the escalating storyline and intricate characters, it comes complete with well executed cinematography and acting which is both passionate and believable.

The pace and length of the film are well controlled and the story is kept together and delivered in an interesting and seamless manner. The production value belies its' insignificant budget which seemingly didn't hinder the Directors vision in immersing the viewer in a world which once sadly existed.

My biggest praise goes to Dean Clark who plays Corporal Pienaar. He plays his role, as the metaphorical and physical embodiment of the old Afrikaaner regime, to such perfection that he is almost too disturbingly real.

This film is a wonderful achievement for the young and upcoming South African film industry and I can only say that I cannot wait for the full length feature.

This short movie should have had more content and a better story line. Having been through this training myself in 1983 I can relate well to this movie. Veterans who experienced this training have to be included to give a detailed account of their experiences. I know of some of the guys who went crazy during training and some who never made it home from the border. A full feature film needs to be produced to get the full insight of what really went on in the army during those times from basics to border and back. Nevertheless a good attempt seeing that the producer was a novice at the time. This is the first film I have seen about the SA army in those days and still recommend a full feature film needs to be produced based on a true story perhaps told by a veteran soldier from those days.

I was there i am a soutpiel , i did my two years from upington 8sai and i could hardly speak a word of afrikaans when i was conscripted.

Firstly i can tell you the language and violence were there, the corporals were really tough.

But other than that this full movie is a complete lie. There was no discrimination in the army not between white or black or any other colour or between the Afrikaners and the English speakers.

I wish i could demand this movie be removed for portraying a system that did not exist. There was a real threat and anyone saying otherwise as this movie does does not know the first thing about the war.

There was no black threat, we never heard of it as a big black threat, it was people , terrorists attempting to infiltrate the border and to smuggle weapons there were many white and black terrorists women and men, yeah some people do not realise that.

If there had been no threat then who was it that was fighting, seriously this movie should be removed and deleted so that nobody else has to go through the 34 minutes of lies.