The Life and Times of Sara Baartman (1998): Cast

In 1810 a 20‑year‑old Sara Baartman boarded a ship from Cape Town to London, never to return. Exhibited as the “Hottentot Venus,” she became the focus of European scientific study that shaped racist ideas about black female sexuality. After her death in 1815 her body parts were displayed in Paris until 1985. The documentary uses historical drawings, cartoons, legal documents and interviews with cultural historians and anthropologists to expose the imperialist assumptions that turned her into a symbol of racial inferiority.

• AB Adrian Brown
• ZM Zola Maseko
• HF Hlengiwe Farasani