N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman (1981)

N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman (1981) poster

This film provides a broad overview of Ju/'hoan life, both past and present, and an intimate portrait of N!ai, a Ju/'hoan woman who in 1978 was in her mid-thirties. N!ai tells her own story, and in so doing, the story of Ju/'hoan life over a thirty year period. "Before the white people came we did what we wanted," N!ai recalls, describing the life she remembers as a child: following her mother to pick berries, roots, and nuts as the season changed; the division of giraffe meat; the kinds of rain; her resistance to her marriage to /Gunda at the age of eight; and her changing feelings about her husband when he becomes a healer. As N!ai speaks, the film presents scenes from the 1950's that show her as a young girl and a young wife. The uniqueness of N!ai may lie in its tight integration of ethnography and history. While it portrays the changes in Ju/'hoan society over thirty years, it never loses sight of the individual, N!ai.

Director: Adrienne Miesmer, John Marshall
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 59 min
Release Date:
Cinematography: Mark Erder, John Marshall
Editing: Adrienne Miesmer, John Marshall
Production: Documentary Educational Resources
Country: United States of America, Botswana
Language: Afrikaans, English
Original Language: en
More Films by Director: Adrienne Miesmer, John Marshall
More Films in Genre: Documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman about?
This film provides a broad overview of Ju/'hoan life, both past and present, and an intimate portrait of N!ai, a Ju/'hoan woman who in 1978 was in her mid-thirties. N!ai tells her own story, and in so doing, the story of Ju/'hoan life over a thirty year period. "Before the white people came we did what we wanted," N!ai recalls, describing the life she remembers as a child: following her mother to pick berries, roots, and nuts as the season changed; the division of giraffe meat; the kinds of rain; her resistance to her marriage to /Gunda at the age of eight; and her changing feelings about her husband when he becomes a healer. As N!ai speaks, the film presents scenes from the 1950's that show her as a young girl and a young wife. The uniqueness of N!ai may lie in its tight integration of ethnography and history. While it portrays the changes in Ju/'hoan society over thirty years, it never loses sight of the individual, N!ai.
Who directed N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman?
N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman was directed by Adrienne Miesmer, John Marshall.
How long is N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman?
N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman has a runtime of 59m (59 minutes).
What genre is N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman?
N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman is a Documentary film.
Where was N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman produced?
N!ai, The Story of a !Kung Woman was produced in United States of America, Botswana.