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Director Jamie Uys creates an enduring cultural phenomenon with this South African import that brilliantly subverts expectations.
Shot in beautiful savannah landscapes and featuring a cast of actors speaking authentic languages, Uys tackles deeply humanistic themes of community and the clash between tradition and modernity.
Xi, a San hunter whose simple life is disrupted when a bottle of Coke falls from the sky, carries the film with innocent charm and physical comedy. The interactions with various strangers are vivid without mocking the "other".
Uys directs without prejudice, showing equality among all people where tradition is upheld with compassion.
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N!xau and the children bring an authenticity rarely seen in Hollywood.
Though a simple story, The Gods Must Be Crazy speaks profoundly of universality without being preachy.
Subtitled, it resonated around the world, grossing millions of dollars. A milestone for culturally sensitive comedy.
Uys would not achieve much more, but he created a masterpiece that proves that entertainment need not belittle to succeed at the highest level. May he again find a deserved endorsement of his humanism.
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The Gods Must Be Mad will perhaps endure as the pinnacle of comedy designed to unite cultures rather than divide them. Its legacy is immeasurable.
It achieved enormous box-office success, becoming one of the highest-grossing non-English films of all time, grossing $230 million worldwide against a budget of just $1 million.