Luister is a documentary that highlights alleged racial prejudice experienced by Stellenbosch University students on their campus, and the surrounding town
The strength in Luister lies in its ability to capture the raw emotion of students who claim they have to endure racial prejudice at Stellenbosch University.
Just over 30 minutes in length, thirty two black students and one lecturer from the formerly white university recount their everyday lived experiences: from being victimised in local bars, racism in residences, the language policy, black students being threatened in public spaces and online platforms.
The documentary points to the normalized discrimination particularly working class ‘born frees’ face in post-apartheid South Africa. One student says: “White Afrikaans guys… have the freedom to walk around drunk on Saturday nights, make noise, holler… as soon as I as a black person become rowdy everyone is there to tell me, ‘No, stop what you’re doing. Sit down.'”
There’s nothing visually extravagant about the film; and it doesn’t need to be, it’s the content that’s important, students with their raw emotion, expressing their personal experiences of racism through powerful and emotive quotes.
If you have not done so yet, then sit down and Luister.
