Cape-Helena (2024)

• historical

Logline

Cape-Helena is an intimate exploration of the nuanced history between South Africa and the mid-south Atlantic Island of St. Helena. It covers various aspects of this history, ranging from migrant nostalgia, slavery, war and colonialism.

Plot Summary

A quiet film that dives into personal and public histories, Cape-Helena evokes a sense of nostalgia for a place many have never been to: St Helena Island. We travel with the narrator, a descendant of the island, as he tries to follow the branches of his family tree and figure out his ancestors’ past. However, he discovers a winding path of intertwined stories all speaking to how the island has lived through years of colonialism, war and slavery. Not many come from the island but the stories seem endless. Cape-Helena offers a raw and unfiltered look into the relationship between South Africa and St Helena, and how this connection has affected the lives they have harboured for generations.