The post-heroism of Stuur Groete aan Mannetjies Roux and Verraaiers

There is much scholarship on the linkages between Afrikaner nationalism and South African (Afrikaans-language) filmmaking. Within context of a sustained post-apartheid renegotiation Afrikaans or in popular imagination, this article we argue that two feature film historical dramas from production company Bosbok Ses Films, Stuur groete aan Mannetjies Roux (2013) Verraaiers (2013), resonate thematically aesthetically with Thomas Elsaesser’s notion post-heroic cinema. While number pre-1994 Afrikaans-language films celebrated as personified figure hero, positions uses post-heroism critical lens through which to demonstrate ways these call attention post-hero whose actions behaviour (often inadvertently) renders productive renegotiating hero within cinematic context. To supplement Elsaesser, also draw Johan Degenaar’s writing political pluralism. In article, find an Elsaesserian approach allows following constitutive components cinema surface: atemporality opposed linear narrative time, parapraxis (productive failure) traditional iterations heroic acts valour, conceiving screen surface flux mirror. The article’s contribution existing contemporary three-fold: it first utilise such foreground investigate post-hero, provides account independently-made remain under-researched current scholarship, contributes discourse around media inform respond (or Afrikaans) identity.