Divided we dance

A feature documentary about people fighting for their land…

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Divided We Dance is a feature documentary that tells the story of a people fighting for their land and their way of life. In the heart of ZuluLand, South Africa, a lush and hilly terrain dotted with traditional homesteads and giant aloes, the community of Somkhele is taking Tendele Coal Mine to court. When the mine began operating in 2007, they brought with them the promise of development: clean water, roads, electricity, jobs. Seduced by the promise of modernization and cash payouts the community gave up their land and left their homes. Now a decade later, the implications of this tradeoff have become clear. The promises have not been met, the land has been destroyed, the community of Somkhele is left in conflict, and Tendele wants to expand. 

Our story begins with a court hearing. Just before dawn dozens of villagers and farmers gather into tour buses to make the four-hour journey to the high court of Pietermaritzburg. Leading the fight is a coalition of concerned citizens that represents the highest ideals of the Rainbow Nation: A young Zulu activist, a pro bono lawyer, environmentalists and wildlife conservationists. Their goal is to have the courts of South Africa declare Tendele’s mining activity illegal and to suspend operations until they adjust their compensation and extraction methods.

Outside the court however, it becomes clear that they face not only the mine itself, but also a surprising array of actors who support resource extraction: the mineworkers and their families; the traditional landowners of the Zulu Nation, and of course the mining company itself. The presence of the mine has created schisms in the community, tearing apart families and pitting neighbor against neighbor. 

This documentary will navigate through the complexities of resource extraction and its impact on largely poor rural communities and the natural habitats surrounding them. We aim to tell a balanced story, and call into question the driving economic ideologies of our time. Who has the right to utilize the land? How does historical injustice apply to current events?  Can resource extraction go hand and hand with community development? What can corporations do to ensure their activities have a positive impact for all? How will the courts of 

South Africa be able to find a balance between the rights of the people and the imperatives of economic development?