Review for Sounds of Sand

I do not wish to impart a sense of western guilt on the reader or myself but I have to admit, we have to tackle some of the issues in the world. We cannot ignore them. Living in the comfort we do it is easy to forget that people (like you and me) have to fight for survival on a day-to-day basis. The same people who have families, who have brothers and sisters, daughters and sons. The same people who laugh and cry. The same people whom we forget about. Imagine if the balance of life turned on its head tomorrow and we had to deal with apathy - 'Why don't the people with plenty care about us?' Why should we care about such trivial issues like people dying from lack of water? It is not our fault; blame it on politics, government and greed. Why should we brush it under the carpet? It is because western guilt gives us comfort. We got all the water we need. At least it's not us because then it's somebody else. I guess this selfishness has clouded our humanity, we do not know ANYTHING about REAL struggle and REAL hardship so why should we let these issues invade our comfortable existence. Donating £10 a month to a charity to make ourselves feel better is all we can muster - is this good enough? I do not know how to deal with these issues but this does not give us an excuse to ignore them. We must appreciate our situation in the world and not complain about trivial meaningless issues when people are dying.

This is why I do not know how to write a review for a film that reflects true-life hardship and poverty in South Africa. Sounds of Sand made me feel emotionally exhausted and guilty. It is about a village in the desert that has run out of water due to war. A man decides to go on a journey with his family to find water. They travel across the desert and, well, things happen that should not happen. It is a beautiful yet disturbing insight into a culture that is willing to give dying men water when they do not have enough themselves. A culture in which a young girl sees a plane in the sky and asks her father, 'perhaps it's looking for us'. A culture in which her father replies, 'I don't think they even know we exist'. After watching the film I realised I am one of those people who does not know they exist or does not care to believe they exist.

As millions of South Africans die over something as simple as lack of water, I suggest we hear from those people who are brave enough to give a s*** - the filmmakers who address these issues with a simple story and a camera...


Special Features: There is a 39-minute 'making of' documentary with interviews with the cast and crew.

Verdict: Sounds of Sand is a harrowing, jubilant and poignant journey into poverty and hardship. The story is simple. The music is moving. The cinematography is exceptional. The acting is real. All of this will shake you out of your indifference. It is not sentimental or manipulative. It is harsh, distressing, passionate and graceful.