"The show is framed by this well known Johnny Cash song –‘The Man Comes Around’ - which starts and ends with an extract from Revelations. It came to my mind when flying between Kinshasa and Johannesburg, while watching the news. From the air the continent seemed so vast. Between geographies of apocalypse and paradise the news were so specific. I thought of (Mohammed) Ali and Mad Max in the Namibian desert, Rwanda Hotel, Nontetha and Blood River and I thought I knew nothing. I was reading about South Africa in the Sawobona inflight mag and the images of wildlife seemed odd. I mean I live in an African city with two polar bears. In Kinshasa someone showed me the hanging of Saddam Hussein on a cellphone screen. Then I read of Mbeki congratulating the Congolese masses who ”did not lose confidence in the capacity of their nation to pull itself out of the abyss”. Our abyss, our home truths. Home public service announcements that profess things will change… the show if you like is a one month diary – or the attempt of an insomniac to memorise some song lines and some of today’s images."
“And I heard as it were the noise of thunder; one of the four beasts sang ‘come and see’ and I saw and behold a white horse…” |
