Winning a Continent

About the production

This was one of the first feature-length dramatic films produced in South Africa, made during the early boom of the country's film industry. Director Harold M. Shaw was imported from England to bring international expertise to the production. The battle scenes were filmed with hundreds of extras, many of whom were actual descendants of the original Voortrekkers. The production faced significant challenges including the lack of infrastructure for film production in South Africa at the time, requiring the company to build many of their own facilities and equipment.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Winning a Continent appeared in 1916, when the silent era before Hollywood consolidated into a studio system shaped how movies were financed, distributed, and discussed. Audiences of the day encountered the work amid shifting tastes in acting, pacing, and spectacle. Its focus on this epic film was one of the first south african dramatic film productions mirrors themes circulating in popular culture of that moment.

Why this film matters

Winning a Continent (1916) belongs to the wider archive of world cinema, documenting this epic film was one of the first. Archivists and historians value such titles for what they reveal about craft, genre, and audience expectations. Restorations and festival screenings keep the work visible to viewers far beyond its first run.

Making of

The production of 'Winning a Continent' was a landmark undertaking for the nascent South African film industry. Director Harold M. Shaw, who had previously worked in England and the United States, was hired by entrepreneur I.W. Schlesinger to lend international credibility to African Film Productions. The company had to import much of their equipment and technical expertise from abroad, as South Africa had virtually no film industry infrastructure at the time. The battle scenes required coordinating hundreds of extras, many of whom had never been in front of a camera before. The production team built makeshift studios and editing facilities in Johannesburg, essentially creating the country's film production capabilities from scratch. The filmmakers consulted with historians and descendants of the Voortrekkers to ensure historical accuracy, though the perspective was inevitably shaped by the Afrikaner nationalist viewpoint prevalent at the time. The film was shot on location in areas that closely resembled the historical settings of the Great Trek, adding authenticity to the production despite the technical limitations of the era.

What critics said

Press coverage from 1916 is fragmentary for many titles of this vintage; surviving notices for Winning a Continent tend to stress novelty, star power, or topical appeal. Later writing places the picture within its national and generic context, weighing both period conventions and moments that still land for modern viewers. Streaming and disc releases have revived discussion among classic-film audiences.

Did you know?

• This was one of the earliest feature films produced in South Africa, marking a significant milestone in African cinema history
• Director Harold M. Shaw was a prominent English filmmaker who was brought to South Africa specifically to help establish the country's film industry
• The film was produced by I.W. Schlesinger, an American entrepreneur who dominated South African entertainment in the early 20th century
• The Battle of Blood River sequence was especially ambitious battle scenes ever filmed in Africa up to that time
• Many of the extras in the film were actual descendants of the historical Voortrekkers portrayed in the story
• The film was part of a deliberate effort to create a distinctly South African cinema that would appeal to both local and international audiences
• Production took place during World War I, which created additional challenges for filming and distribution
• The film's title reflects the colonial-era perspective of European settlement as 'winning' or 'civilizing' the continent
• This film helped establish Johannesburg as an early center of film production in Africa
• The original camera negatives and most copies of the film are now believed to be lost, making it a rare example of early South African cinema

Visual style

The cinematography of 'Winning a Continent' was typical of the silent era but ambitious for South African production standards of the time. The film utilized static camera positions for most dialogue scenes, as was common in 1916, but employed more dynamic camera work for the battle sequences. The filmmakers made extensive use of the South African landscape, capturing sweeping vistas that emphasized the scale of the Great Trek journey. The Battle of Blood River sequence featured long shots that could capture hundreds of extras, creating an impressive sense of scale despite the technical limitations of the period. Natural lighting was used throughout, with the bright African sun creating high contrast images typical of outdoor filming of this era. The cinematographer, whose name is lost to history, managed to create some striking compositions that took advantage of the dramatic South African terrain. The film's visual style was influenced by American epic films of the period, particularly D.W. Griffith's work, though with a distinctly South African subject matter.

Innovations

For its time and place, 'Winning a Continent' represented several significant technical achievements. The production successfully mounted large-scale battle scenes with hundreds of extras, demonstrating that complex action sequences could be filmed outside of the major Hollywood or European studios. The film's production team had to overcome the lack of established film infrastructure in South Africa, essentially creating their own technical solutions for lighting, camera work, and editing. The use of actual South African locations provided an authenticity that studio-bound productions couldn't match. The film's length, at approximately 70-80 minutes, placed it in the emerging feature film category rather than the shorter one- or two-reel films that were still common. The production also developed techniques for working with non-professional actors, many of whom were local residents rather than trained performers. Perhaps most significantly, the film proved that high-quality narrative cinema could be produced in Africa, challenging the notion that serious filmmaking required the resources of Hollywood or Europe.

Music

As a silent film, 'Winning a Continent' had no recorded soundtrack but would have been accompanied by live musical performance during theatrical exhibition. The score would likely have been compiled from popular classical pieces of the era, with selections chosen to match the mood of each scene. For the dramatic moments of the Great Trek, somber classical pieces might have been used, while the battle sequences would have been accompanied by more rousing, martial music. Theaters might have also included Afrikaans folk songs or hymns to enhance the patriotic and religious themes of the film. Some larger theaters in Johannesburg and Cape Town might have employed small orchestras, while smaller venues would have used a single pianist or organist. The musical accompaniment would have been crucial in conveying emotion and driving the narrative forward, as was typical for silent films of this period.

Famous quotes

Here we stand, before the throne of God Almighty, to make a covenant with Him, that if His protection shall be with us, and He give our enemy into our hand, we shall keep this day as a Sabbath, and pass it to our descendants as a memorial of His great goodness.

The land is vast and empty, but God has brought us here for a purpose - to build a new nation under His guidance.

We may be few against many, but faith is a weapon stronger than any spear or gun.

This blood that waters our soil today shall nurture the tree of freedom for generations to come.

The trek is hard, the suffering great, but the promise of a free land for our children makes every step worthwhile.

Memorable scenes

• The dramatic crossing of the Drakensberg mountains, with families and wagons struggling against impossible odds
• The solemn covenant ceremony before the Battle of Blood River, where the Voortrekkers pray for divine intervention
• The epic Battle of Blood River sequence, showing the tactical brilliance of the laager formation against overwhelming Zulu forces
• The emotional scene where families say goodbye to loved ones who will not survive the journey
• The final victory scene where the survivors give thanks for their miraculous deliverance

What audiences thought

The film was reportedly well-received by South African audiences, particularly among the Afrikaans-speaking community who identified with its subject matter. Many viewers were reportedly moved by the depiction of their ancestors' struggles and triumphs during the Great Trek. The battle sequences generated particular excitement, as they represented some of the most spectacular action scenes ever filmed in Africa up to that time. The film's success encouraged further investment in South African film production throughout the 1910s and 1920s. However, the film's appeal was largely limited to white audiences, as it presented a version of history that excluded or marginalized the perspectives of indigenous peoples. The film's patriotic themes resonated strongly during the World War I period, when national identity was a particularly sensitive topic in South Africa. Audience attendance records from this period are incomplete, but contemporary accounts suggest the film was a commercial success by the standards of the time.

Film connections

Influenced by

• D.W. Griffith's 'The Birth of a Nation' (1915) - for epic scale and historical narrative approach
• Cecil B. DeMille's early historical epics - for dramatic storytelling and spectacle
• American Western films - for frontier themes and pioneering narratives
• British historical dramas - for period authenticity and patriotic themes
• Contemporary war films - for battle sequence staging and editing

This film influenced

• Subsequent South African historical films of the 1920s-1940s
• Later Afrikaner nationalist films such as 'Die Bou van 'n Nasie' (1938)
• South African films dealing with the Great Trek and Voortrekker history
• Historical epics produced by African Film Productions in the following decades
• Documentaries and feature films about South African history made after 1916

Film restoration

The film is largely lost, with only fragments and possibly one incomplete copy surviving in archives. Most original nitrate prints have deteriorated or been destroyed over the decades. Some sequences may exist in the South African National Film, Video and Sound Archives, but the film is considered largely missing. The loss represents a significant gap in the history of early South African cinema. Film historians continue to search for any surviving prints or fragments in private collections or international archives. The film's status as a lost feature makes it among the leading sought-after missing films from South Africa's early cinema period.

Where to watch

• Unfortunately, the film is not commercially available due to its lost status
• Film fragments may occasionally be shown at specialized film archive screenings or academic presentations
• The South African National Film, Video and Sound Archives may have viewing facilities for researchers with special permission
• Occasionally, clips or stills from the film appear in documentaries about South African film history
• Academic film studies programs may have access to archival materials for research purposes