Truth in translation

I didn't know anything about the Truth & Reconsiliation commission of South Africa before I went to see this play. My friend who is a lawyer told me about it and I went, albeit somewhat reluctuntly.

To put things into context: the TRC is a court-like body formed in South Africa after the apartheid, in order to avoid bloodbath and endless prosecution. Since it was immense numbers of people that were involved in atrocities during that era, it was thought that if the country were to take the route of prosecution, they would have to prosecute the entire country. So they came up with a different alternative: people were asked to come forward and tell the truth about killings and tortures and all the crimes committed during that time and in return they would get amnesty. This way, families of disappeared victims would know what happened to them and could mourn them in dignity, they could find their loved ones graves and possibly some kind of closure to their pain. Forgiveness of the perpetrators would be bonus. Apparently, amazing things happened during the hearings of the TRC, which lasted 3 years: nobel peace prizes were put to the test, mothers found their childrens' bones and killers and victims hugged. It is not clear wheather this has been the best way to go. Can victims forgive? Are perpetrators remorceful? Can there be crime without punishment? Are victims not angry, revenge-thirsty?

The play told the story of the TRC through the eyes of the translators that had to simoultaneously translate in first person the testimonies into the 11 official laguages of South Africa. They personified all the things that divided that country up until now and were dealing with each other fighting the stereotypes that are associated with each of their colour, tribes and social and economic class. By using the first person while translating, they had to empathise with victims and perpetrators alike and they felt their country's history all over again. Additionally to the multi-lingual dimension, the creators of the play use songs to dramatise some of the stories and to add the colour of African music to their piece.

The result of all this is extremely effective. You, as a member of the audience, are faced with awful narratives, powerful scenes and personal conflicts, but most of all you are faced with one country's desire to address the truth. South Africa believed that this was the only way to a new country, no prosecution necessary: people should hear what had happened (as the producer of the play put it as 'a tapestry of events'), should have to accept it and live with it.

People are still angry and 'peace and love' ideals have not emerged victorious, despite the idealists dreams.
People have not always forgiven each other.

But if some of them have, then it was all worth it.