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What Have We Done?

Name: What Have We Done?
Director: Bernard Joffa
Released: 1990
Duration: 30 min

Representation Score

6.7/10

Good

1990

Director

Bernard Joffa

Runtime

30 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Senzeni Na? is a powerful examination of systemic injustice set in 1980s South Africa. By centering the experience of a Black man facing state-sanctioned torture, the film successfully disrupts traditional cinematic hierarchies and challenges the dominance of white-centric narratives. The film excels in its portrayal of racial and cultural struggle, using the historical context of apartheid to critique institutional corruption. It moves beyond simple storytelling to provide a sophisticated deconstruction of state power and the mechanics of oppression. While the film is deeply impactful, its narrow focus on a singular male protagonist limits the breadth of gender and disability representation. The narrative prioritizes the visceral experience of political violence over a wider spectrum of identity-based ability to act.

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Category Breakdown

Does What Have We Done? have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on racial and systemic conflicts. There is no evidence of LGBTQ+ character arcs or queer-coded narratives.

How does What Have We Done? portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on a Black man's struggle against a predominantly white police force. It critiques patriarchal state violence by depicting authorities as chaotic agents.

How racially and ethnically diverse is What Have We Done??

Excellent

The film provides a deep critique of racial hierarchy by centering a Black protagonist. It disrupts Western cinematic focuses on white hegemony through its depiction of systemic violence.

How does What Have We Done? represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story engages with anti-colonial themes and portrays the state as a corrupt entity. It deconstructs institutional authority by framing state labels as tools of oppression.

Does What Have We Done? include disability representation?

Good

The film depicts the physical trauma and bodily harm inflicted upon the protagonist. It portrays the body as a site of political struggle rather than exploring disability ability to act.

Present on Screen

Provides a profound and nuanced critique of racial hierarchy and systemic violence.
Effectively deconstructs institutional authority and the corruption of state power.
Centers underrepresented voices by focusing on the lived experience of an oppressed protagonist.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer-coded narratives.
The narrative focus remains heavily centered on a single male perspective.
Does not explore disability ability to act, focusing instead on physical trauma as a consequence of violence.

Official Synopsis

Senzeni Na? is a 1990 short film directed by Bernard Joffa. In South Africa 1980, a black man is accused of being a terrorist and is subsequently tortured by the white police. The film won an Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film.

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