Watch: Controversial YouTuber’s farm murder documentary – going too far, or not far enough?
There seems to be little agreement on the emotionally charged subject of farm attacks in South Africa, but will the provocative #Farmlands usefully and meaningfully contribute to the debate?
Lauren Southern, a YouTuber hailing from the snowy climes of Canada, is no stranger to controversy. She is an outspoken critic of the contemporary feminist movement and was once a member of the conservative-leaning Rebel Media. Her views have often led to her own critics associating her with the “alt-right” (generally accepted as meaning a collection of white nationalists, white ethno-statists and even white supremacists) – claims she’s denied.
Lauren’s latest exploit, however, may prove to be her most controversial to date – farm murders in South Africa. Numerous readers will regard the term itself as being misleading and problematic, and much debate in South Africa has centred on this highly sensitive, and for many, emotionally charged subject. Indeed, owing to the extremely unfortunate appearance of the Apartheid-era flag at last year’s “Black Monday” march, the divide seems only to be deepening.
In the #Farmlands project, Lauren will release 10 videos exploring the subject of farm attacks through various interviews, and if her plans are realised, the series will become a documentary. The response on social media to the project has been tremendously polarised; again underscoring how complex the subject is not only in South Africa, but for many across the world.
Below are 2 of the 3 videos thus far released, and whatever your view on the issue may be, please note that they contain graphic and disturbing descriptions of crime scenes.
Tales of violence
A divergence of perspectives
The below posts from social media have been picked to illustrate, albeit in a generalised way, the polarised responses to the #Farmlands project.
