"Come back Africa" is a 1959 black and white film that is part documentary and part fiction. The documentary sections provide a compelling look at life in a Johannesburg township in 1959 and life for blacks and Afrikaners in the City itself. Interwoven with this documentary is a fictional account of the life of a rural Black man who comes to Johannesburg looking for work. All the performers are real people and not actors, which is more than evident, and the scenes take place in real locations.
The singer Miriam Makeba (1932-2008) is featured in the film, and as a result of her performance she managed to escape South Africa and came to the U.S. where she began a distinguished career. Producer Lionel Rogosin (1924-2000) helped her escape, supported her, and established the Bleecker Street Cinema in 1960 where "Come Back Africa" and other "art" shows had a chance to be displayed, influencing the careers of many future film makers.
I lived in South Africa from 1977 to 1980 and can attest to many of the scenes you will see, which take place in 1959 but which were still present when I was there. By the time I lived there life was less pleasant for many than it was at the time of this filming, if you can imagine that.
This is a unique film and one that can be watched mostly for its historical importance, and as a representation of a genre that is under represented.
There are many films about life in South Africa. Among the best are "Shaka Zulu" (1986) and "Zulu" (1964) for the colonial days, "Cry the Beloved Country" (1951) and "A Dry White Season" (1989) for the in between years, "Inside" (1996) and "Mandela and de Klerk" (1997) for the more recent vista.
