Jenna Bass’s latest film, High Fantasy, is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of South Africa’s multi-cultural youth. Appearing as a sort of homemade travelogue, High Fantasy is filmed as if collected from a group of friends’ various iPhones and then officially edited together afterwards.
As High Fantasy quickly toggles from frame to frame, different characters take turns holding the camera – freshly capturing multiple viewpoints. In turn, the stage is set for an intricate examination about race, gender, sexuality, identity, and mentality – all filmed against the extra-terrestrial landscapes of the Northern Cape.
If the themes involved were handled differently, we’d be looking at a potentially clichéd outcome. Instead, the film directly confronts the legacy of South Africa’s complex history and system. With a sci-fi twist.
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High Fantasy is making its World Premiere at TIFF 2017. Information about the film and its showtimes can be found on the festival website.
