A Country Imagined is a South African documentary series produced by Curious Pictures that goes on a journey through South Africa with legendary musician Johnny Clegg, who explores the landscapes that have inspired artists, writers, musicians and dancers for centuries.
The series premiered on SABC2 on Sunday 25 April 2010, at 21h00. It later aired on SABC3. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
A Country Imagined premiered on SABC3 on Thursday 21 July 2011, at 19h30. New episodes broadcast weekly. There are 13 hour-long episodes in the series.
Synopsis
Presented by musician Johnny Clegg - who is also an anthropologist - the series travels through some of South Africa’s most beautiful spaces to explore the rich history of art and the "imaginings" of our society.
The programmes spotlights South African artists and their work as well as the landscapes they work with. A number of them, including Nadine Gordimer, Olive Schreiner, Hugh Masekela, Gerard Sekoto, William Kentridge and David Goldblatt are known around the world.
Some - such as the bead workers and potters of remote rural villages have produced works without signatures. The show brings them all together through an exploration of art and artists set against a backdrop of scenery and a vexed and dramatic history.
Shot in HD, the series includes aerial, historical and time-lapse photography.
Seasons
There are 13 episodes in one season
Season 1
Channel: SABC2 | Premiere: 25 Apr 2010 | Finale: 18 Jul 2010 | Sundays, 21h00
Channel: SABC3 | Premiere: 21 Jul 2011 | Finale: 13 Oct 2011 | Thursdays, 19h30