WAT WAS HIE? is a site-specific cinematic journey that retraces the entangled histories of colonialism, indigenous erasure, and resistance in South Africa. Adapted from a multidisciplinary theatre performance, this evocative film moves through historically significant sites, reactivating these locations through movement and restorative memory.
The film amplifies the often-silenced voices of the indigenous San and Khoi peoples, while confronting the brutal legacy of slavery under Dutch colonial rule.
Through embodied reenactments and poetic reflections, WAT WAS HIE? asks a searing question — WHAT WAS HERE? — challenging viewers to confront the layered pasts that continue to shape the present.
Camissa Create is an interdisciplinary collective that develops projects at the intersection of art, heritage, and community engagement. Our work seeks to surface hidden histories and amplify voices that have been historically marginalised, using creative expression as a means of dialogue and social transformation.
The panel discussion following the screening will reflect on the process of creating WAT WAS HIE? and the film’s exploration of memory, site-specificity, and historical accountability. The discussion aims to consider how artistic practice can contribute to healing, reclamation, and a deeper understanding of South Africa’s layered pasts.
Date: Monday, 01 December 2025
Time: 12:30
Venue: TH Berry, Iziko South African Museum, 25 Queen Victoria St, Gardens, Cape Town.
Free event with limited seats available
RSVP via Webtickets: https://bit.ly/Iziko_WhatWasHere
Enquiries: Lindsay Hendricks via email: lhendricks@iziko.org.za or
Tel: 021 481 3800
