There is much use of the Afrikan word that people say to each other for forgiveness, compassion. But, to me anyway, every actor who speaks the phrase seems to pronounce it differently. It's a beautiful phrase as they explain it, embodying what the movie is all about. Anybody out there know the exact phrase & how it's spelled and pronounced?
shareI just watched the movie.
I believe the word you are looking for is "Ubuntu."
I am not sure what language it is, I am pretty sure its not Afrikans.
Probably Zulu or maybe Xhosa.
Pronounced U-BU-NTU.
U like U-biquitous
BU like BU-ll
NTU - I don't think this sound exists in English, but its pronounced just like it is spelled.
Thanks, that's the word. Now do you remember the explanation given in the movie as to what it means? I remember the gist of it but not the whole thing.
shareHello from Cape Town
The explanation from the film is that
"a person is a person through other people"
and that we don't exist in isolation. Each of our actions affects everyone else.
See
http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=335&fArticleId=2522971
for a longer explanation.
Regards
Murray Anderson
To add to that, for those of us who are interested in the goings on in the computer world, there is now a Linux distribution called "Ubuntu" - with exactly that spirit in mind - we give to the community (the village or the planet, have your pick) in ways that we can, and by doing so make it a better place for us to live in. That is my brief interpretation of how ubuntu works.
A beautiful thought, I think and it makes mincemeat out of the old colonial allegation - perpetuated in Apartheid - that the people of Africa are not civilized and have no culture.
Thanks, Murray, for pointing me at the Cape Times article!
Hello again,
before they regrettabyl close down this facility - to replace it with something called "Facebook" I guess - let me add another bit of information for those of us that are interested:
A musical with the title "Ubuntu - The Spirit of Togetherness" has been touring the world for a number of years now. It is (or was) also available as a DVD recording, even though I couldn't find much about it on Google in a quick lookup.
It originated in South Africa and shows scenes from the life of (mostly black) South Africans and their different music styles.
Out - over - see you elsewhere
Gerd