Variations on a Theme wins Tiger Award at International Film Festival Rotterdam and screens at BFI London Film Festival

South African filmmakers Devon Delmar and Jason Jacobs have made headlines with their Oscar entry "Variations on a Theme, which has already gained international recognition at prestigious film festivals.

The film tells the story of Ouma Hettie, an octogenarian goat herder in South Africa's Kamiesberge region, who falls victim to a scam promising reparation for her father's unpaid service during World War II. The family becomes increasingly involved as they try to help her navigate this situation.

Delmar and Jacobs' film has been making waves at various festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where it won the Tiger Award, and the 70th edition of the BFI London Film Festival (LFF). It was also screened at LFF.

The film's unique blend of a poetic visual style and playfulness has earned it praise from critics. According to the LFF website, Variations on a Theme is an insightful study of Ouma Hettie's resilience and her community's connection with nature.

The film's director, Jason Delmar, has a unique connection to the village where the movie was shot. Born in the village, he spent his childhood there before moving away and later returning to live with his grandmother.

Delmar's personal experience of observing the rhythms and routines of village life is reflected in the film. He notes that anyone spending time in the village would soon become aware of its natural pace and rhythm.

The villagers' daily routines are woven into a rhythmic dance-like quality, giving the film an underlying sense of choreography. This effect is not explicitly stated but rather felt by the viewer.

Delmar's observations of the village's musicality are rooted in his own experiences growing up there. He has become part of the community and has made several films with them, including a short film shot a few years ago.

The theme of repetition in everyday life is central to the South African film Variations on a Theme, which explores the exploitation of villagers by scammers in 2026. This concept harmonizes with the awareness that historical events are merely repeating themselves.

According to the filmmaker, the repetition of everyday life mirrors the experiences of the protagonist's father, who was exploited by the government in the 1940s, echoing the colonization of generations past. This idea of repetition became crucial to the film's narrative structure and visual representation.

To map out shots for the film, the team employed an unlikely tool: Microsoft Excel. The spreadsheet allowed them to organize their vision into a grid, with five columns representing story days and 30 rows depicting repeated scenes that unfold like clockwork.

The use of Excel has been jokingly referred to as a unique aspect of filmmaking history, with the potential to be the only film ever written using this software.

The unique approach to filmmaking continues to shine through in the creation of South Africa's Oscar entry Variations on a Theme". Delmar reveals that the film's inspiration came from the music of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, who is renowned for his formulaic approach to composition.

Pärt's method involves creating musical formulas and equations that allow him to build upon a small kernel of an idea. This concept resonated with the filmmakers, who sought to contain their narrative within a single core idea before allowing it to unfold in various ways.