Yesterday (2004)

Abstract

Yesterday is a film that transmits great spiritual force, in contrast with the awesome South African landscapes that surround the harsh living conditions of their inhabitants. The social reality of South Africans has been captured in this film by the director and scriptwriter Darrell James Roodt, whose Western point of view evolves around social criticism and awareness. In this part, the director reliably reflects the difficulties faced by South African women, who are represented by the character of Yesterday, Beauty’s mother. The plot takes place in the country, where women take up the role of both mother and father, since the vast majority of the young men emigrate to cities (in the film, Yesterday’s husband goes to find work in Johannesburg) in search of better job opportunities that will allow the family economy to be maintained. Within this context, Darrell James highlights the social, economic and religious features that are characteristic of African societies, so that viewers can understand which factors influence the development of HIV-related illnesses in Third World countries.The society within which the action develops is one that is stigmatized by HIV as a consequence of the huge social blemish caused by the disease. Thirty-three million people in the world suffer from HIV and this means the death of two million a year, the South African population being one of those most affected by the virus.