Flatland

Natalie’s wedding night ends up being a nightmare. First, the women of the family put the screws on, and then ‘no’ in the marriage bed suddenly doesn’t mean no anymore. Natalie hides in a barn, a shot is fired and she flees. First on horseback, then by car across country with her pregnant friend Poppie in tow. Policewoman Beauty Cuba is soon hot on their heels. She’s trying to solve a murder case but a phone call throws her back into the past. Director Jenna Bass cleverly weaves the stories of three women into an unusual, fast-paced road movie. The film’s lush imagery takes us on a journey through the sun-drenched hinterland of a divided country. Part police thriller, part emancipation story and part social drama, Bass’ film once again buries the myth of South Africa’s ‘rainbow nation’ where skin colour, gender and social status actually continue to play an important role. While private melodramas spool out in the TV soaps that are on in the background, a very real story of female self-empowerment and solidarity unfolds. (Berlinale)