South Africa’s Oscar Entry ‘Variations on a Theme’ Was Written With Microsoft Excel

South African film *Variations on a Theme* follows Ouma Hettie, an elderly goat herder who is caught up in a scam over compensation for her father’s wartime service. The film’s measured, rhythmic style connects her daily life with a longer history of exploitation, and the film has been selected as South Africa’s entry for the 2027 Oscars.

Writer-director Devon Delmar says the filmmakers drew on the natural routines of the Kamiesberge community, where co-director Jason Jacobs grew up. They mapped the film’s structure in Microsoft Excel: five story days formed five columns, with 30 shots repeating in a set pattern. The film also took inspiration from the formulaic compositions of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, and won the Tiger Award at this year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam.