‘Krumhuk: Kingdom or Community’ explores the complexities of Namibia’s land reform at a community-centred farm in central Namibia. Since Namibia’s independence in 1990, redistributing land from white owners to black owners has been a hot subject in society and politics. But is the redistribution of legal land ownership enough for a reconciled future? Does it address people’s underlying hopes and fears?
Krumhuk farm forms a unique case study on the subject because it is no longer privately owned by the German Voigts family, nor has it been redistributed to previously disadvantaged groups. Instead, the previous owners decided to transfer the ownership to a non-profit company to open up the farmland to a larger community whilst the non- profit monitors the anthroposophical objectives of the farm.
In this ethnographic film, you will encounter many Krumhuk inhabitants’ ideas on belonging to the land and the community. The film highlights the factors that can impede or foster reconciliation and offers insights into what it means to belong in postcolonial Namibia.
Bio
Ieke is a curious visual ethnographer, theatre director and teacher. As a young girl, she grew up in Namibia, after which she moved to the Netherlands. Questions on ‘belonging’ have since then played an important role in her life. Through researching her surroundings and co-generating narratives, she hopes to contribute to a greater understanding of each other and decrease careless ‘othering’, which polarizes our society. She has an associative mind and enjoys playing with different storytelling techniques, be it through theatre, film or other media. Topics that are close to her heart are postcolonialism, (im)migration, religion, education, sustainability and hope.
