A hundred years ago, three-quarters of the Herero people in the German colony of Namibia were murdered, many in concentration camps.
Today, descendants of survivors are demanding compensation from the German government. The film is the first to tell this forgotten story and its connection to German race theory.
The BBC has described it as the story of Germany’s forgotten genocide. David Adetayo Olusoga’s powerful documentary takes a keen and uncompromising look at the conditions that led to the death of three-quarters of Namibians in the concentration camps set up by Germany in Africa The tragic circumstances of being slaughtered.
The show includes graphic reconstructions and doesn’t shy away from showing disturbing scenes that reveal the brutality of European colonial ideology.
The documentary also features footage of the 2004 German ambassador to Namibia expressing regret over the murder of thousands of Namibian Hereros during the colonial era. Unsurprisingly, the Germans refused to pay reasonable claims for compensation.
The plan also examines current calls for land reform, with most of Namibia’s commercial land still owned by European farmers, who account for 6 percent of the country’s 1.8 million people.
It contains interviews and powerful testimonies from African survivors, future generations and representatives of the reparations movement, making for a compelling show that both inspires viewers and treats sensitive topics with the respect they deserve.
