Contrasting time and space in William Kentridge's film : "Johannesburg 2nd greatest city after PARIS"

Abstract

Both Johannesburg and Paris are great cities that played important roles in the private life of William Kentridge. Kentridge was born in Johannesburg and is still living there. It is mainly a mining city with visible reminders of its past still evident in the huge mine dumps, highways and headgear structures over mine shafts. By contrast, Paris is the city where Kentridge studied mime (1981 - 1982) at the Ecole Jacques Lecoq and gained international exposure. Geographic and historical location are very important elements in all William Kentridge's animation films. In this film the scene is Johannesburg - a city built on speculation. When Kentridge as cinematographer joins different frames or filmstrips the viewer is transported within seconds from Soho's capitalist interior to the barren landscape of the workers.Johannesburg en Parys is beide groot stede wat elk 'n belangrike rol in die lewe van William Kentridge gespeel het. Hy is in Johannesburg gebore en woon steeds daar. Dit is hoofsaaklik 'n mynstad met sigbare oorblyfsels van groot mynhope, mynskagte en hoofwee. Parys hierteenoor is die stad waar Kentridge mimiek tussen 1981 en 1982 by die Ecole Jacques Lecoq bestudeer het en internasionale blootstelling verwerf het. Beide geografiese en historiese ligging is baie belangrike elemente in al Kentridge se animasiefilms. In hierdie film is die toneel Johannesburg - 'n stad wat op spekulasie gebou is. Wanneer Kentridge as filmmaker verskillende raampies of stroke film kombineer, word die toeskouer binne sekondes vanaf die kapitalistiese interieurruimte waarin Soho hom bevind na die lee landskap van die werkers verskuif.