BFI

One of the earliest films depicting African situations, the self-descriptive Savage South Africa - Savage Attack and Repulse (Warwick Trading Company, 1899) is a dramatic re-enactment of a real-life event from the Matabele wars between African natives and British infantry.

Despite the setting, it was filmed in London, though the African performers were genuine enough. They were originally brought over by the South African impresario Frank Fillis, whose spectacular Earl's Court show Savage South Africa blended stage performances and exhibitions where visitors could wander among the semi-naked Africans.

This latter aspect was particularly popular with women, though the essential hypocrisy of Victorian society at the time was exposed when the show's star, Peter Lobengula (who claimed to be the son of the Matabele King Lobengula) fell in love with an English girl, Kitty Jewell. Predictably, this led to a huge scandal, the flames of which were heavily fanned by the English popular press.

Michael Brooke

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