Film Excel-lent: A Spreadsheet Masterpiece?

Variations on a Theme, a film recognized with the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, recently screened at the BFI London Film Festival. Co-written and co-directed by Devon Delmar and Jason Jacobs, the film offers an insightful study of resilience within a close-knit South African community.

The narrative centers on Ouma Hettie, an octogenarian goat herder facing a scam. This personal ordeal draws her family into a larger story about historical exploitation. The film's title and structure are inspired by the repetitive rhythms of daily life in the Kamiesberge region, reflecting cycles of injustice across generations.

Delmar revealed a unique aspect of the film's production: its script and shot composition were meticulously planned using Microsoft Excel. This unconventional method helped visualize the film's themes of repetition and cyclical violence. The filmmakers also drew inspiration from Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's formulaic approach to music, aiming to unfold a core idea with intricate beauty.

The film's poetic visual style and underlying dance-like rhythm were deliberate choices. Delmar explained that observing the natural routines and 'musicality' of the landscape informed the film's pacing and structure. This connection to the land and its inherent rhythms forms the heart of Variations on a Theme.