The World Unseen

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THE WORLD UNSEEN

Cape Town, South Africa, 1952

Bastards!

Good day, Amina.

Sergeant.

Good day, Jacob.

Sergeant Stewart.

So, she finally got the place opened?

Nice business to have.

I imagine it is.

These new laws are making life

bloody hard for the police.

They're not making it a picnic

for the rest of us either.

My colleague's waiting in the car.

He has a problem with

this sort of thing.

You know it's an offence for blacks

to eat in the same place as whites.

There are no whites here.

Present company excluded.

As non-blacks then.

This is an Indian area.

Maybe coloureds, but no blacks.

Passports.

You know they have passes.

I want to see them. Now!

This is only a travel permit.

Yes, sir.

Where's your pass?

But I don't have a pass, sir.

I'm coloured, not black.

Yeah, you look like a Kaffir to me.

Her father was Dutch,

like mine.

You understand, Jacob, it's

going to be difficult...

Stewart, what are you talking

to these people for?

Calm down.

You keep serving blacks and

we'll kill the lot of them.

Ma'am, it would be safer

for you to leave now.

You don't have to pay for the...

I can finish my coffee, mister ...?

Williams.

Jacob Williams.

I'm Madeline Smith.

You run the post office.

Well, you come in it.

You're Amina's business partner,

aren't you?

Ah, well, no,

I just work for Amina.

Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot.

Partnership would be illegal,

wouldn't it?

Thank you, for shielding me

from the police.

Would you excuse me?

What is it?

My grandmother.

We'll get a new glass,

a new frame.

Are you OK?

And you?

I'm not so old that I can't

dive for cover.

Not to mention

flirt with the customers.

Milk...

Come in here and get ready

for school, both of you!

Thank God we are moving out

in a couple of months...

before the next one comes.

Say goodbye to papa.

OK, Sam, Yasmine, upstairs!

Go! Brush your teeth, get your books!

Off!

He said yes.

We can go.

Where?

Out for lunch!

To the "Location Caf".

I can't believe our husbands

are letting us out of here.

Come on, Miriam. Get dressed!

Good morning!

I'm so sorry.

Amina, I'm sorry.

Thank you, Doris.

Please, leave it.

They have staff to do that.

Good morning, ladies.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

Our special today is lamb bredie

and I have some nice fresh "koeksisters".

What are "koeksisters"?

It's a South African delicacy.

A fried doughnut

with syrup and coconut.

Here, try one!

See if you like it.

It's delicious.

Good. I'll send some over and I promise

I'll try not to drop them this time.

She thinks a lot of herself.

Maybe she should.

She owns a business and

she's one of us.

No, she's not.

Where do you see any of

our girls looking like that?

Like what?

Are you blind?!

Like a man.

Maybe it's easier to work

in trousers.

Daddy, is it far?

I told you, Delhof's in the country.

You'll like it there.

Will we have a house there

like our old one?

We'll get a much bigger & better

than the old one.

With a big shop underneath.

Who'll work in it?

I will. And your mother. And we'll

have a boy to help us.

And we'll have a night watchman

to guard the place at night.

Shall we leave?

We'll need to work hard,

that's all.

She would've been

proud of you.

Hello, Bhai.

Mrs Benjamin is making

some tea.

She says you should

go and help her.

How hard is it

to make tea?

Here. It will give you

some energy.

Are you OK?

Shall I call her?

No.

No, I'm OK.

Going already?

Yes, I need to go

to the shop.

Don't worry about it.

Your sister-in-law's there.

Here, love. You have

a nice cup of tea.

Thank you, Mrs Benjamin.

He's not one for a chat,

is he?

No, he's not.

There's nobody here.

I don't know who you think is

going to come flooding in

to buy groceries at this

time of day. Or any time.

Where's the boy?

Robert?

He's making deliveries.

He'll be back.

Later?

What are you doing?

Has it been so long that you

don't even remember?

I suppose she doesn't like you

to touch her when she's pregnant.

You come to Cape Town

once a week...

Come and see me.

Sit down.

So what do you do

after school?

Homework.

Good... Good.

Do it then.

I don't have any homework.

Why not?

She's only five.

She doesn't get homework

until big school.

Hello, mister Husband.

Or should I say:
mister Father?

Is it a boy?

What a question!

You have a beautiful baby girl.

My son!

I have traveled

so long to see you.

All these Africans!

That's the problem

with this country:

too many black people.

You should come home my son,

it is a better life.

How will Amina find a good

husband here?

There are plenty of families

when she's ready.

Of course she's ready!

Where is she anyway?

She's work--

She couldn't come.

Working?

Did you say she's working?

Where is she working?

Cape Town.

The girl needs to be brought back

to a decent way of living.

Why is she working?

What is she doing?

She must mix more.

I know a family.

The Alis. Do you know them?

- Yes.

- Invite them for dinner, on Sunday.

Your son never lets us

invite anyone.

Amina will never come.

It is Amina's duty to be

where we tell her.

She will come.

Amina, you're late. They're here

already. Hurry up inside.

Who's here?

Where are you going?

Inside?

Like this?

Like this.

Mum, this is who I am.

What else

do you want me to wear?

I'll help you serve the food.

I don't see why people say

that our girls are too modern.

They may want to go out for a while

and find out things for themselves.

But I think our girls always find it

best to stay at home in the end.

Doesn't Amina

work anymore then?

Only now and then.

- But what about the caf--

- Why isn't anybody eating?

Things have been so busy

at the garage lately.

I don't have time to stop

for one minute.

Sometimes I wish

Amina was helping me again.

And how many children

would you like, Amina?

Oh, I don't know... I suppose

two or three would be nice.

Do you want only boys?

What would make you think

I'd want boys at all?

What a rubbish!

Everybody wants a boy.

Everybody!

Well, I'm not everybody.

And I wouldn't care

if I had a boy or a girl

as long as the child was

healthy and happy.

Nothing else really matters, does it?

I think she's right.

I think it's time for desert.

We're going to Cape Town

on the weekend.

All of us?

Do you remember

when this came?

Two weeks ago.

It's from my sister, Rehmat.

The one in Paris?

Who told you that?

Farah.

She's coming with her husband.

I'm going to go to sleep.

You watch the shop.

Farah, come and help me here!

They'll be here

any minute now.

And you know

how particular Omar is.

Not as much

as he likes to think.

They're here!

I'm cooking!

Well, where is she?

She's gone to the hotel

to meet James.

That's a stupid thing to do.

Are they trying to get caught?

They shouldn't even be here.

- He's father's dying.

- So what?!

He'll be dead in a week and

they'll be in jail.

Do they think

the police care?

Which hotel is he staying at?

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