[imagesource:veep]

ZEF: The Story of Die Antwoord, released through VEEPS on March 23, has been lauded as “fucking incredible” and “the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen” by some fans, while also being criticised for playing out “like a propaganda piece”.

That’s so Die Antwoord for you – super divisive.

The documentary takes a more intimate look at the band’s personal history, featuring home video collection clips mixed with tour footage, and is a collaboration between the band members – rappers Watkin Tudor “Ninja” Jones and Anri “Yolandi Visser” du Toit – as well as filmmaker Jon Day and the surrealist photographer Roger Ballen.

Day followed Die Antwoord over five years to tell the story, which is narrated by Yolandi and Ninja’s daughter, 16 Jones.

As soon as it became available to watch on VEEPS, a Reddit discussion spawned, discussing the documentary’s worth.

“You need to pay $12.99 (just under R250) for a ridiculous subscription to a streaming service I’ve never heard of OR rent it for $10 (around 180). I am thinking about renting it but any thoughts from those who have watched it? Is it good? And how long is it?” reads the Die Antwoord’s official /r/ board discussion on Reddit.

While Reddit is no Rotten Tomatoes, the comments are varied enough to paint a picture of what you’re in for. SA People rounded up a couple of the noteworthy comments:

One comment says, ‘it’s absolutely worth renting.’

Another commenter (wuvvwuu) says that ‘it’s a weird docu(mentary).’

Wuvvwuu also says: ‘You can tell its been extremely carefully done so you get the vibe most of it is fake/altered to make them look better. It watches like a propaganda piece instead of a gritty documentary.’

Indeed many Redditors praised the film for its unseen visuals and band history, but others can’t help but note the uncanny exclusion of the band’s many controversies.

One user says they found it “bit too self-indulgent towards the end”, while someone else said they wished they’d discussed the controversies, adding “I was disappointed by that. I am still a fan of their work. However, I thought this was their opportunity to tell their side of things.”

The Zef family have been accused of homophobic hate crimes, child neglect and abuse, prompting an investigation by the Department of Social Development (DSD), as well as an alleged case of sexual assault opened in Queensland, Australia, among other dodgy antics.

But the band might just thrive on the controversy, as they keep going, and even announced their 2024 EU/UK Tour after the damning abuse allegations were pitted against them.

The band, by nature, generates a ton of outrage, but they also get a lot of love and understanding from the more generous lot out there:

Seaofsad said on Reddit, “Yes it’s worth it and you will want to watch it again. So many beautiful family clips when they were a young family and the very end was so gorgeous. Real and vulnerable. They are so incredibly talented. I know the controversies and maybe they did this to show they are real people with real lives, either way, it’s a must watch if you are a fan.”

Meanwhile, [deleted] said they were “genuinely blown away” by the doccie:

“I know DA have had their fair share of justifiable controversies but the talent and drive really moved me. I’ve been a HUGE fan for years and the way this documentary gave them their flowers of being some of the best artists of our generation was a joy to watch.

To watch the art be discarded as it has due to the controversies is sad as fuck. This is a beautiful story and the art changed my life. I’m an artist myself and this documentary has inspired me to keep pushing even harder. If you haven’t rented this please do. A tenner is more than worth the insight and INCREDIBLE quality and art direction”

IMDb rates it as an 8.7/10 – which is above decent. Anyway, watch it if you dare and form your own opinion – as usual.

[source:sapeople]&reddit]