Sisters of the Wilderness

Sisters of the Wilderness, a documentary feature film that was released in 2018, is a powerful exploration of personal, societal, and environmental redemption. This deeply emotional and poignant journey is set against the epic and majestic landscape of South Africa’s oldest game park, the iMfolozi wilderness. It is an unconventional and distinctive wildlife film that simultaneously holds a unique place in the realms of social and nature films.

The primary protagonists are five young Zulu women: Amanda Ntombela and Andile Nxumalo among them, who come from different backgrounds around KwaZulu-Natal. They embark on a journey to this wilderness area. The backdrop to their experience is a park exposed to various threats, including intense poaching, a proposed coal mine on its boundary, and excessive game safaris.

The women set out on a five-day journey through this wilderness. Some of the women have never been out of their immediate urban environment, while others have not had the opportunity to explore the wild areas of their native land. Each is living a life challenged by their individual histories and everyday struggles of contemporary existence. The journey into the wild helps the five protagonists to reflect, remember, and ultimately reinterpret their past from a new perspective.

As the women move deeper into the wilderness, they discover the essence of the wild environment and begin to explore their own potent wilderness. We see their strength, resilience, and courage emerge as they intersect with the raw realities of the wilderness and their shared experiences. We get to understand their histories, hope, fears, and aspirations.

Their personal narratives are marked by abuse and violence against women, lack of familial structure or support, and an unending battle with environments that perpetuate poverty and restrictions. However, they are not cross-fired victims. Each woman’s narrative is a testament to the remarkable strength of the human spirit and its capacity for forgiveness and love against all odds.

Through these emotional and spiritual journeys, Sisters of the Wilderness beautifully orchestrates a parallel between the wilderness and the inner struggle of these women. Although the context is as alarming as it is tragic, it is their resilience, their tenacity, and their unyielding insistence on hope and change that capture the audience.

The harrowing instances of their past only render their courage and strength more remarkable. They inspire and move the viewers while reinforcing the objective of using this film as an instrument of change. This film aims to foster new ways of thinking about ourselves, wildlife conservation, the social structure, and the nature of the relationship between human beings and the environment.

The film has been masterfully shot by award-winning director Karin Slater. The seamless and organic transitions between heart-rending personal narratives, magnificent visuals of the wilderness, and a resonant wildlife story profoundly shape the audience's experience. Slater’s narrative style and film direction are both a visual and an experiential treat.

Sisters of the Wilderness uses the moving personal stories of these women to shed light on a larger societal malfunction. The film makes a powerful contribution to addressing the issues of gender-based violence, women empowerment, and wildlife conservation. It pushes for the right to nature and wilderness for everyone.

The award-winning South African wildlife and conservational film, Sisters of the Wilderness, is thoughtful, visually striking, emotionally stirring, and socially significant. It is a journey into the heart of the wilderness as well as into the depths of the human spirit. Through a beautiful lens of storytelling, it brings forth themes of resilience, rebirth, reconnection, and redemption. A film that touches the heart and inspires the mind, Sisters of the Wilderness is a must-watch for lovers of nature and champions of social change.