The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)

My Review

“The Gods Must Be Crazy” is a story about a Bushman from an isolated tribe in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana, named Xi, who discovers a glass Coca-Cola bottle dropped from an airplane and believes it to be a gift from their gods. The bottle causes nothing but trouble for the Bushmen tribe, so Xi sets out on a journey to return it to the gods. During his journey Xi encounters a biologist, a school teacher, a tour bus driver, and a gang of guerilla terrorists. The comedy and drama proceed from there.

South African producer-director-screenwriter Jamie Uys put together a truly original and imaginative film with some marvelous performances from actors of South Africa, and filmed in Namibia and Botswana. The cast includes Nixau Toma as Xi, Marius Weyers as the biologist, Sandra Prinsloo as the teacher, Nic de Jager as the tour driver, as well as Louw Verwey, Michael Thys, Fanyana Sidumo, Joe Seakatsi, Brian O’Shaughnessy, and Ken Gampu as the President.

“The Gods Must Be Crazy” was a huge success at the global box office for C.A.T. Films, Ster-Kinekor, and 20th Century Fox. A sequel called “The Gods Must Be Crazy II” was released in 1989.