South Africa’s entry for the 2027 Oscars was written in a spreadsheet. Devon Delmar and Jason Jacobs, the co-writers and co-directors of “Variations on a Theme,” drafted the Afrikaans-language drama in Microsoft Excel, Delmar said at the BFI London Film Festival. He also credited an Estonian composer with shaping the film’s musical feel.
The National Film and Video Foundation chose the film on September 30 as the country’s submission for the Best International Feature category at the 99th Academy Awards. The agency called it a showcase of South African filmmakers’ world-class skill. Producer Annemarie du Plessis described the selection as an “incredible honor.”
The story follows Ouma Hettie, an octogenarian goat herder in the Kamiesberge mountains of the Northern Cape, played by Hettie Farmer. A scam promises her payment for her father’s unpaid service in World War II, and relatives step in far more than she wants. The film runs only 65 minutes. Cameras rolled in Kharkams, and the project is a co-production between South Africa and the Netherlands.
Jacobs grew up in the village the film depicts. Delmar says his co-director’s close observation of the place gave the project its start and its title. Their earlier film, “Carissa,” came before this one. “Variations on a Theme” premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam this year and won the Tiger Award, then reached London for the festival’s 70th edition.
The field is crowded. By October 3, 95 countries had announced submissions, the highest tally in years and well above the 86 that qualified last year. The Academy trims that list to a shortlist of 15 on December 15. Five nominees follow on January 21, and the ceremony takes place March 14, 2027.
South Africa has a thin Oscar record in the category. It has earned two nominations and one win, for “Tsotsi” in 2006. A small Afrikaans film with a spreadsheet for a screenplay now carries that hope, and festival acclaim alone will not guarantee a spot on the shortlist.
