Abstract
Within this paper the author explores the representation of the mythical Boer Hero within the short film Bloedson [Bloody Sun]. During the 20th century, the Boer soldiers who fought against the British Empire in the Anglo‐Boer War, became celebrated figures. They were given the attributes of a monomyth hero and became the protagonists of folk narratives represented in novels, songs, films and drama series. This unfaltering, steadfast and courageous Boer hero became the cornerstone of Afrikaner identity for the second half of the century. Yet in the post‐ 1994 South African society, the Afrikaner identity has become complex and contested, with some Afrikaners feeling increasingly alienated from traditional Afrikaner myths, resulting in the grand narratives of the Boer hero falling away. The author argues that the 2013 short film Bloedson could be regarded as the most innovative representation of the mythical Boer hero to date. The paper concludes that the film aptly demonstrates a “nation” that is fractured, in transition, and coming to grips with its place in the diverse contemporary South African society.