History Repeating Itself? – Supremacy, Domination, Genocide

Paula Slier addressing the audience at the screening of her documentary. Also pictured is Ambassador Ilya Rogachev of Russia

22 September 2022

Paula Slier’s emotive documentary ‘The questions I never asked’ is certainly poignant, not only in its content, but also in its timing at this extra-ordinary inflection juncture in human history. Her own story is about triumph, and as a South African female journalist heading up the Russia Today RT Africa bureau in Johannesburg, South Africa, is a pertinent and clear indicator of the changing times.

The 30 minute documentary delves into another poignant inflection point of our past which has direct relevance to our present geo politic. It is a statement of humanity’s primal sense of domination, the capacity for brutality and hatred, and yet the importance of kindness, the desire to belong, a sense of family and the freedom to express.

The banning of Russia Today news channel in South Africa and the cancel culture treatment of Russians and Russian sports, arts and culture was pointed out by Russian Ambassador Ilya Rogachev in his remarks at the showing of the documentary hosted by the Embassy of Russia in South Africa. "Russia cannot be cancelled," said Rogachev reassuring the many guests which included diplomats, members of the media, academia and socialites, that they should expect to see an increase in Russian cultural activities, beginning with the reinstatement of the Russia Movie Night Series. Rogachev also expressed his deep disappointment that no members of the Jewish Board of Deputies of South Africa attended this significant documentary on the holocaust.

The tragedy of the ongoing military conflict between Russians and Ukrainians, neighbouring nations, joined at the hip geographically and who share a deep and profound history, is unacceptable. Paula, who initially reported on the frontlines of the last conflict in 2014, was banned from Ukraine as a journalist working for RT. For Paula, who entered the profession of journalism because of her love for telling stories, she has begun questioning her profession and the merits of media and their reporting. “Today it seems anyone with a smartphone can report on a story,” commented Paula, and with a click can reach millions of people all over the world. And if the facts are not verified the misinformation and disinformation can lead to serious consequences and fatal misunderstandings. The block placed on RT in South Africa despite efforts to re flight the channel shows that even in a country where people gave their lives for freedom of the press, media is still under the destabilizing influence of a self-serving purpose.

The animated discussions that ensued during the question and answer session and continued during the reception after was a stark reminder of the ever repeating cycle of control and subjugation and the rise and fall of empires. For Paula and her family the irony of fleeing from one form of flawed supremacy into the welcoming embrace of another form of supremacist ideology is quite revealing.  

Link to the documentary https://rtd.rt.com/films/holocaust-the-questions-i-never-asked/

K Bhana