Lexi is a white South African millennial who has recently inherited a ridiculous amount of farmland in the middle of nowhere. She is fully aware that her family stole this land from some black people and she gets a little touchy whenever the subject comes up. Which it often does when she brings her three black South African millennial friends on a camping trip on her family’s land.
The four friends (3 girls and a guy) have very different histories and worldviews, but the mood is light and friendly on the first day. Things take a turn for the awkward on Day 2 though when they wake up to discover that they’ve somehow swapped bodies overnight. The fallout is brilliantly captured by director Jenna Bass on her iPhone in found footage/mockumentary format.
Whether in South Africa or even right here in Canada, 2017 is a tricky time to make a film about racial tensions. The worst thing one can do is to reinforce the myth of easy answers just to get your Hollywood ending. Bass -and her four stars who co-workers the script with her- are very careful to avoid this trap. The interaction between the characters are every bit as messy and unpredictable as they should be. It’s a little bleak, refreshingly honest, and avoids the typical lazy talking points.
As for the fantasy gimmick, it works and it doesn’t. It does provide some opportunity for some comic relief that seems to emerge organically from the situations without resorting to too many Freaky Friday clichés. It is confusing though; I did spend a lot of time trying to remind myself who was in whose body. Which is a bit of a problem. Given how much of the story lies in subtext, it becomes important who’s saying what.
That’s all fine though. I don’t mind having to work to keep up with a film this sincere and well-acted. It just seems that much of the conflict between the characters boils to the surface due to extreme stress and not always specifically because they’ve swapped bodies. So I had to wonder if this all would have been less confusing had they just ran out of gas.
High Fantasy is exactly the kind of film that most of us go to festivals for. It’s a low budget and unique film that is surprising and challenging. You’ll probably be begging your friends to watch it so you can have someone to talk about it with.
Originally published at www.cinemaaxis.com
ASSHOLES WATCHING MOVIES 
Sounds like quite the premise, and I agree–one that could be difficult to pull off.
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It’s a little confusing but it’s worth the effort. I spent a lot of time trying to remind myself who was who.
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Sounds like this may have been the better South African movie to watch. I went with Five Fingers for Marseilles. Which was interesting (how many South African westerns do you get to see?), but a little too long and slow.
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Yeah, that one didn’t jump out at me as much but you’re right about the South African western.
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This is probably why most body swapping storied involve two characters swapping bodies. Easier to follow that way.
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That probably is why, yes. The performances are usually much more exaggerated too.
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Sounds good. Will have to keep an eye peeled for it.
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This sounds really unique and interesting!
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I’m South-African. I wanted to preach about other nationality-directors not understanding the complexity of racial relations in South-Africa at all, then luckily I Googled and saw it is a South-African director.
This honestly sounds like Freaky Friday with racism, but interesting all the same. I’ve realized that a large part of the world (and SA) consider some human rights less equal than their human rights. It is an interesting context to think about how you would be treated if you were another skin color.
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Thanks for your comment! The only thing about this movie is that the four of them are alone in the middle of nowhere and all four of them know what’s up so no one really gets the chance to treat them any differently.
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