My Heart of Darkness

In higher political circles, debate still continues on the issue of who won the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), the Cold War's final theater of conflict. It began as a struggle for independence and developed into a drawn-out civil war. But the victims of the conflict know the truth: nobody won. And so do the soldiers who created the victims, as this gripping personal documentary testifies. The film revolves around Marius van Niekerk, who initiated the project, co-directed with Staffan Julén, and provides the voice-over. At the start of the film, this Swedish-South African veteran explains how the gnawing memories of his deeds during the Angolan War caused him to lose everything: his self-respect, his land, his reason, his innocence and his wife. Now he leads three fellow veterans on a journey along the river Kwando. Like him, Patrick, Mario and Sammy are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Thirty years ago, they fought on opposing sides of the conflict and now they are traveling together to the village of Cuito-Cuanavale, where their battle took place. "We are all here for the same reason, driven by the need to understand. To set off on a frightening journey into the darkest of our hearts."