Plot
She searched for a home, she searched for love. Confronted by Apartheid and a father who was Minister of censorship...
Release Year: 2011
Rating: 5.9/10 (590 voted)
Critic's Score: 69/100
Director:
Paula van der Oest
Stars: Rutger Hauer, Carice van Houten, Liam Cunningham
Storyline She searched for a home, she searched for love. Confronted by Apartheid and a father who was Minister of censorship. With men like Jack Cope and Andre Brink she found much love, but no home. In his first speech to the South African Parliament Nelson Mandela read her poem "The Dead Child of Nyanga" and addresses her as one of the finest poets of South Africa.
Cast: Rutger Hauer
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Abraham Jonker
Carice van Houten
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Ingrid Jonker
Liam Cunningham
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Jack Cope
Grant Swanby
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Jan Rabie
Martinus Van Der Berg
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Maruis Schoon
(as Marthinus Van den Berg)
Candice D'Arcy
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Anna Jonker
Graham Clarke
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Uys Krige
Leon Clingman
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Valkenberg receptionist
Jennifer Steyn
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Lucille - Lulu
Waldemar Schultz
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Ettiene le Roux
Florence Masebe
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Maria
Damon Berry
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Pieter Venter
Nicholas Pauling
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Eugene Maritz
Tarryn Page
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Irma
Sabrina Oschmann
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Young Ingrid
A middle aged writer rescues a young woman from drowning near the
shores of South Africa. Although he is much older, they fall in love
right there and then and soon some obvious complications ensue. There
is hardly a likable or interesting character in this wandering
historical drama about the poet Ingrid Jonker (Carice van Houten). It
deals primarily with the mentally troubled Jonker and her precarious
relationships with men, including her father (Rutger Hauer) who is a
member of the apartheid regime she strongly opposes.
The film never picks up any speed and the absence of a discernible plot
line or a compelling narrative makes for a very pallid viewing
experience. Hauers script is particularly one-note but the same could
be said of van Houten who seemed to be out of her depth in the role of
a frustrated and depressed young woman trying to get her voice heard
through rebellious poetry. Liam Cunningham fares a lot better as one of
the two love interests and produces the only sympathetic character of
the film.
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