Language of My Soul

Name: Language of My Soul
Director: Gregory Molale
Released: 2023

Gregory Molale 2023

Katrina Esau is the last living fluent speaker of N|uu, one of the oldest and most endangered languages in the world. In Language of My Soul, this extraordinary elder battles against time and fading memory to preserve a language nearly lost to colonial violence and systemic oppression. Born into an era when the San people were hunted and stripped of their identity, Katrina spent much of her life identifying as Afrikaans-speaking Coloured (term for people of mixed race in South Africa), denying her roots in a society built on exclusion. Now, in her final years, she fights to pass on N|uu, facing the weight of history, family tensions, and the fragility of memory.

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Running Time:

84 min.

Spoken Languages:

Afrikaans, English, N|uu

Subtitles:

English

Directors:

Gregory Molale

Producers:

Gregory Molale, Bonolo Molale

Cinematographers:

Dakalo Magoro

Editors:

C.A. Van Aswegen S.A.G.E.

Production Companies:

The Myrmidons

Activism

African Cinema and Cul..

Press

TimesLive South Africa

“This is one of those rare stories where Ouma Katrina and her community, the San, speak for themselves. In most documentaries, their voices are often overshadowed by outsiders, be it experts, voice-overs, or even the directors themselves. Here, the San and Khoi are front and centre, speaking directly to the issues that affect them.”

Joy Mphande
WaAfrika Online

“The film is a celebration of an African elder who rediscovered her will to live when she decided to revive a language she was once ashamed of.”

Editor's Pick
“The most beautiful thing I have seen in my 60 years as an actor and writer”

John Kani OIS OBE
“I am in awe of this film. Not only do you deserve awards, but also you and your team have made an enormous contribution to history and heritage with this sensitively made film. I hope it will be shown in schools, universities and organisations across South Africa and around the world.”

Christa Kuljian – Writer, Editor, Teacher
Deeply stirring. The colonization of our indigenous languages, dealing with shame and overcoming it, and ensuring oral history and culture is preserved is all delicately and intimately showcased in this South African documentary.

Nazareen Ebrahim

Festival Participation

Festac Africa (Kenya) - 2024

Additional Materials

Distribution Company

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