Both Sides

Manica District is today the land of Shona-speaking groups that also inhabit the adjacent Zimbabwe plateau. Earlier inhabitants, the San hunter-gatherers that once roamed the plains and the forests of Southern Africa, left their art on the rock walls of thousands of caves and shelters across the subcontinent. The Norwegian archaeologists Tore and Eva Sætersdal have hiked every corner of the Vumba hills in Western Mozambique together, searching for signs of ancient societies.

Many archaeological sites play an important part in the ceremonial and spiritual lives of people today, as part of the traditional ancestor beliefs. Maintaing good relationships with local authoities is important. The film follows Tore Sætersdal as he visit the local custodians and the sites.