The Gods Must Be Crazy (film series)
Encyclopedia
The Gods Must Be Crazy is a series of films
starring the Namibian
San
farmer and actor Nǃxau.
. Set in Botswana
and South Africa
, it tells the story of Xi, a Sho
of the Kalahari Desert
whose tribe has no knowledge of the world beyond.
still raging in nearby Angola
at the time.
film comedies that continued the fish-out-of-water aspects of the original films. They were filmed in Cantonese and dubbed in other languages.
As of 2007, the three Hong Kong films have not been released in the United States, although they have been released on VCD
format in China
. The Gods Must Be Funny was recently released to the DVD
in South Africa.
A hopping vampire wreaks havoc in Nǃxau's tribe, but soon they discover how to handle him and he becomes a great asset to them. Meanwhile a Chinese necromancer, sent by the corpse's descendants, searches for him, together with a bumbling cowardly representative charged with ensuring that the necromancer returns his ancestor as desired.
film, which also starred Marius Weyers
and Sandra Prinsloo
, was marketed as a sequel to the first film.
Film series
A film series is a collection of related films in succession. Their relationship is not fixed, but generally share a common diegetic world. Sometimes the work is conceived as a multiple-film work, for example the Three Colours series, but in most cases the success of the original film inspires...
starring the Namibian
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
San
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
farmer and actor Nǃxau.
The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)
The first film released in 1980, written and directed by Jamie UysJamie Uys
Jacobus Johannes Uys , better known as Jamie Uys, was a South African film director.-Early life:Prior to his foray into film, Uys was a math teacher in his hometown of Boksburg. He then married Hettie, a fellow math teacher and the couple started farming and opening trading posts along the Palala...
. Set in Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, it tells the story of Xi, a Sho
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
of the Kalahari Desert
Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savannah in Southern Africa extending , covering much of Botswana and parts of Namibia and South Africa, as semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains. The Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert...
whose tribe has no knowledge of the world beyond.
The Gods Must Be Crazy II (1989)
A sequel, was filmed in 1981 but not released until 1989. Xi's name was changed to Xixo in this film. In it, Xixo's two young children encounter poachers in the Kalahari Desert and explore the back of their truck, and become unable to jump off once it starts moving. Xixo must once again travel great distances to retrieve them, and once again encounters various other western characters who are on quests of their own. The film is notable for the increased role of animals throughout the story, and for its light-hearted treatment of the civil warAngolan Civil War
The Angolan Civil War was a major civil conflict in the Southern African state of Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with some interludes, until 2002. The war began immediately after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. Prior to this, a decolonisation conflict had taken...
still raging in nearby Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
at the time.
The Gods Must Be Crazy III-V (1991-1994)
Nǃxau was featured in three low-budget Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
film comedies that continued the fish-out-of-water aspects of the original films. They were filmed in Cantonese and dubbed in other languages.
As of 2007, the three Hong Kong films have not been released in the United States, although they have been released on VCD
Video CD
Before the advent of DVD and Blu-ray, the Video CD became the first format for distributing films on standard 120 mm optical discs. The format is a standard digital format for storing video on a Compact Disc...
format in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The Gods Must Be Funny was recently released to the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in South Africa.
- Crazy Safari (The Gods Must Be Crazy III) (1991)
A hopping vampire wreaks havoc in Nǃxau's tribe, but soon they discover how to handle him and he becomes a great asset to them. Meanwhile a Chinese necromancer, sent by the corpse's descendants, searches for him, together with a bumbling cowardly representative charged with ensuring that the necromancer returns his ancestor as desired.
- Crazy Hong Kong (The Gods Must Be Crazy IV) (1993)
- The Gods Must Be Funny in China (The Gods Must Be Crazy V) (1994)
Jewel of the Gods (1989)
A South AfricanSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
film, which also starred Marius Weyers
Marius Weyers
Marius Weyers is a South African actor. He received international attention playing Andrew Steyn in the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy . He recently starred in Blood Diamond.-Selected filmography:...
and Sandra Prinsloo
Sandra Prinsloo
Sandra Prinsloo, also known as Sandra Prinzlow, is a South African actress best known for her role as Kate Thomson in 1980 film The Gods Must Be Crazy....
, was marketed as a sequel to the first film.